Sitting down to create or update your estate plan can be overwhelming. Crucial to a successful plan is your ability to address two major questions: Who will get your stuff when you die, and how do you want those individuals or charities to receive that stuff? Ways to...
Year: 2024
What to Do When a Disability Throws Your Estate Plan into Chaos
As poet Robert Burns mused centuries ago, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Despite thoughtful effort and a concerted strategy, you cannot prepare for every emergency in life. A car accident, sudden illness, workplace injury, or chronic medical...
Legacy Insights: Navigating the Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax
Your Guide to Understanding the Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax 101 Many people are familiar with the existence and some aspects of estate and gift taxes. If you are part of an ultra-high-net-worth family, it is important to also...
Demystifying Probate and the Personal Representative’s Role
When creating a last will and testament (commonly known as a will), one of your most important considerations is who to choose to serve as the personal representative (also called executor) of your estate. As the name implies, the role of the personal representative...
Who Will Care for Your Child When You Cannot?
As a parent, you are responsible for the care of your minor child. In most circumstances, this means getting them up for school, making sure they are fed, and providing for other basic needs. However, what would happen if you and your child’s other parent were unable...
What Happens to Real Estate With a Mortgage When I Die?
Your mortgage, like the rest of your debt, does not simply disappear when you die. If you leave your home that has an outstanding loan to a beneficiary in your will or trust, your beneficiary will inherit not only the property but also the outstanding debt. They may...
What Is a Residuary Clause and Why Is It Important?
When developing your estate plan, it is nearly impossible to address every account or property you own. There are sure to be some things you unintentionally overlook. However, by including a residuary clause, you can intentionally disburse any remaining items...
What Is the Difference Between a Probate and Trust Administration Attorney and an Estate Planning Attorney?
Estate planning attorneys and probate and trust administration attorneys play crucial but distinct roles in the legal processes involving legacy planning, asset distribution, and wealth preservation. Estate planning attorneys focus on creating a plan to manage a...
Saying Goodbye Is Hard: How a Comprehensive Estate Plan Can Help
When people think about estate planning, they usually focus on who will receive their money and property when they pass away and how it will be received. However, estate planning can also address your end-of-life wishes—the considerations and expenses involved when it...
Inspiring Action: The Guide to Creating or Updating Your Estate Plan
Creating or revising an estate plan can feel overwhelming, causing many people to procrastinate. But the longer you put it off, the more potential there is to be caught unprepared in an emergency. So how can you motivate yourself and your loved ones to begin the...