There are many different estate planning challenges that may not be apparent until after a loved one has passed away. For example, a sibling who feels as though they have been excluded or treated unfairly in the assignment of assets may argue that another child unduly...
Year: 2022
Get Started: Has the Pandemic Inspired You To Put Together An Estate Plan?
Many people have contemplated the importance of having proper plans for incapacity, disability, illness, or death as a result of the pandemic, but some of those people have not yet taken action to document these plans. People who have had a serious case of COVID-19,...
Your New 18 Year Old Needs A Health Care Directive
If you have a child who is nearing age 18, there’s a good chance you’re still helping them with most of their healthcare and other planning decisions, especially if they live at home. But this big birthday is about more than someone being considered a legal adult....
Do You Have An Elder Law Plan? You Need One
Did you know that over 40% of people over age 65 in the United States will spend some time in a nursing home and/or need care at home? In many cases the action steps those approaching retirement try to take to minimize their risks can actually backfire. Many people...
What Is End of Life Planning?
Most people put off creating an end-of-life plan because it's uncomfortable to think about your own morbidity. But it can be even more uncomfortable for your heirs to be struggling to make these decisions on your behalf, or worse, going through court arguing with...
Out of Date Documents: A Serious Problem
To put it plainly…one of the biggest mistakes you can make with your estate plan is to allow your estate planning documents to become outdated. I always tell my clients that an estate plan is a “living breathing thing” and should be reviewed at strategic times in...
Pet Trusts: Our pets are a part of our family.
History: In the past “pets” were treated as “chattel” or possessions under the law. This was because they were viewed as necessary to aid us in our lifestyles. They had to “work for a living.” Dogs herded sheep; cats kept the rat population down; and horses and...
Aesop Fables- The Grasshopper and the Ant (La Cigale et la Fourmi):
Aesop, the ancient Greek writer of fables, lived between 620 BC and 564 BCE. He was a contemporary of Aristotle, Herodotus, and Plutarch— the “Greek Greats!” It is mostly philosophy and history majors who have actually read the Greek Greats. They are not always easy...
Did you know that a beneficiary designation will override the terms of your Will or Trust?
When people discuss their estate planning, they often focus on their Wills and Trusts. One thing that often gets overlooked is their beneficiary designations. A beneficiary designation will override the terms of your Will or Trust. If you have a Will or Trust that...
What is a Residential Tax Exemption?
A Residential Tax Exemption is enabled by a city or town to drop the assessed value on homeowner real estate property values for a discount payment on residential taxes. There are no income or asset thresholds or requirements other than filing with the city or town....