Everyone goes through changes in their life. Your family grows, your business succeeds, you buy a new house. The last thing you might be thinking about through all of these events in your life is what will happen if you were to pass on suddenly. But it is important....
Wills and trusts do not have to be complicated
When people write or talk about trusts in the news, they are usually complicated and exotic. The implication of stories like this is that everyone needs trust like this in order to avoid taxes or otherwise protect assets for their loved ones. Nothing is further from...
Playing favorites? Picking one child to handle your estate
As a parent, you probably hate picking one child over another. They each have their talents and reasons why they should be involved in important end-of-life decisions for you and how to divide up your estate when you’re gone. Yet it’s still often for the best to have...
Careful planning needed with children on SSI
If you are a parent of an adult child who relies on Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you probably worry about their future. They may have a disability which has made life difficult, and it's only natural to be concerned about their care and their life after you are...
How millennials view the issues related to long-term care
Estate planning is usually not top of mind for the millennial generation, because serious, end-of-life issues seem such a long way off. However, there is one area of planning that concerns them, and it has to do with healthcare needs later in life. Citing lack of...
Factors to consider when choosing your power of attorney
An estate plan gives individuals the ability to designate the allocation of their property and person should they pass away or become incapacitated. Whether an individual has a few assets or a large estate, a plan may be beneficial and avoid confusion for the family...
Two simple estate-planning documents millennials should have
If you are young, single and focused on your career, estate planning is probably something you do not think about often, if ever. While you do not need a complex plan at this point in your life, you should think about the basics. There are two simple documents...
5 tips for getting your estate plan under way
Like many people, you may be procrastinating about sitting down with an attorney to map out your estate plan. It may seem to you a huge undertaking. Putting an estate plan together is really about collecting your thoughts and getting organized. Here are five tips to...
You can name a guardian for your child in your will
You may not have a lot of money or many assets, but drawing up a will is important. If you have a minor child, a will can and should address the matter of guardianship. If you do not designate a guardian and you pass away, the court will appoint one for your child,...
How Surrogate Court handles probate
You may believe that probate is a complicated, onerous, difficult process for an executor to manage and, in general, a procedure to avoid. While issues can arise, settling an uncontested estate is usually a fairly straightforward task. If, after you pass away, your...