If tragedy strikes your family and your children need someone to take care of them because you cannot, then a judge will choose who steps in to care for them. You can have a voice in that selection, however, if you’ve taken the steps to nominat…
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We plan for everything from dinner to vacation, but rarely do we plan for the cost or need for long term care. This failure to plan can have devastating effects on us and our family over a very short period of time.
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If you think you only need to create protective trusts for young, troubled, or financially inexperienced beneficiaries, then think again. In today’s environment of frivolous lawsuits and high divorce rates, you should consider protective trusts…
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We often write about why it’s so important to have an estate plan. We write about how estate plans allow you to make the process of estate administration more simple and less expensive for your loved ones. And of course we write about how a good es…
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A client of mine came to me and had some concerns and needed my help. Her mother had passed away, and my client was worried that her brother was acting inappropriately with her mother’s assets. When she had spoken to the brother about what was…
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We realize that you are getting lots and lots of updates from businesses you deal with regarding the COVID-19 crisis and how things are being handled. We certainly don’t want to unnecessarily add ourselves to that list of updates, but we do feel th…
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Many people assume that estate planning is primarily for married couples, but the truth of the matter is that estate planning is just as important for a single person as it is for a married couple. Whether a person is single because they are divorced…
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Many times individuals are confused about the Medicaid transfer rules. When individuals are preparing to apply for Medicaid for long term care coverage, they assume that they can transfer assets to their family or to a Trust without penalty. Or they…
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When we are sitting with clients discussing how to plan their estates, we are often asked about how to protect assets from the high cost of long term care or from other potential creditors. It’s generally in the context of whether a Revocable Livin…
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For many individuals the largest asset they have is their IRA. Many times IRAs will represent half or more of an individual’s assets by the time they reach retirement or are in need of nursing home care. Therefore, protecting that asset can be impo…
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Put in its most simple terms, estate planning involves putting your affairs in order so as to maximize the benefits that your assets can provide to you during your life and to those you desire to benefit from it after your death. Estate pla… Read More
What Does a Proper Estate Plan Include?
A proper estate plan to provide for the needs of your family may include:
An adequate Will or Trust
A written agreement concerning the status of your assets
If you already have an estate plan, it should not be considered permanent. Conditions, as well as your desires, may change. Estate plans should be reviewed at least every two-three years but, additionally, any important change in your life demands… Read More
What Happens if You Don't Have a Will or Trust?
If you do not have a Will or a Trust and have not used other probate-avoiding techniques, upon your death your assets will pass according to the laws of the state which has jurisdiction over your assets. The “state plan” may not provide for th… Read More
What Other Probate Avoiding Techniques Are There In Addition to Living Trusts?
The following methods are often used to avoid probate: joint tenancy title, community property title, bank account trusts, pay on death accounts, life insurance proceeds, retirement proceeds (IRA’S, TSA’S, 401K’s, etc.), retirement pla… Read More
What Should I Bring to My First Meeting?
People often ask what they should bring with them to their initial estate planning consultation (we call this “the Discovery Meeting”) with one of our attorneys.
As we discuss in Our Planning Process, the Discovery Meeting is our oppor… Read More
I Already Have an Estate Plan. Why Should I Think About Changing It?
We find that many people already have an estate plan, but it does not meet their current planning needs. They may have a Will that was prepared many, many years ago, or they may have a trust that prepared more recently, but those plans may not be… Read More
What Does an Estate Plan Cost?
As you might imagine, we get that question all the time. It is a difficult question to answer because fees are determined by the type of plan we put together, and that is determined by your goals, objectives and asset mix. The planning fees can ra… Read More
How Much of an Estate Do I Need to Have In Order to Set Up a Trust?
There is no “bright line rule” for determining whether a person needs a trust as a part of their planning. The answer for any particular person will depend on their own planning needs and planning goals.