Protecting Your Rights. Guarding Your Interests.
An estate plan is not a preserve for the old and wealthy folk. If anything, you should have one if you are a legal adult. You don’t have to own much to have an estate plan. It is still worthwhile to plan how everything should be dealt with when you are gone. For...
Probate is the court process through which a deceased's estate is distributed. It is usually initiated by your estate's executor or an administrator. During the process, the court validates your will and authorizes your executor to distribute your estate to your...
An increasing number of Americans are beginning to understand why they need to draft their estate plans long before they become senior citizens. This has led to an uptick in testators looking for ways to store these important legally binding documents. Few testators...
One of the only certain things in life is change. When you first created your estate plan, it was tailored to the circumstance of your life at that time. If you take a look at what has happened in your life since then, it is easy to appreciate why you may need to...
Making your own estate plan gives you the space and flexibility to set terms that reflect your family's needs. If you were to die without a last will, your spouse will receive a specific portion of your estate, while your children will typically equally split the...
When you start working on your estate plan, you’ll likely focus on the traditional assets like bank, retirement and investment accounts and your properties. Of course, developing an advanced directive for your health care and choosing executors, trustees and those who...
If you’re in a position where you don’t want to leave your estate to your children but would like to leave it to your grandchildren, you should know that there are excellent options available. You can skip the middle generation by using a trust. For example, using a...
The purpose of creating an estate plan is to leave behind a meaningful legacy or protect the people that you love the most. Too many people keep putting the process off. Procrastination leaves some people without a plan when they die earlier than they thought they...
Have you ever heard the sad and sordid tales of those who won mega-million lottery jackpots — enough money to set themselves up for several lifetimes — but who somehow still died broke, sometimes only a few years later? Unfortunately, unfettered wealth has been the...
If you want to reduce your estate’s risk of being taxed and to use your tax exemptions for the benefit of your spouse, there is one trust that could help. A spousal lifetime access trust is one that you create to benefit your spouse. This trust is irrevocable, which...
