Blog Posts in 2015

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Can I Disinherit My Child?

Can you disinherit your child? A parent can disinherit their children in all states, except Louisiana – but only under limited circumstances. In Louisiana, you can’t disinherit a child who ...
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Choosing an Executor for Your Estate

After you’ve spoken to an estate planning attorney and learned the basic concepts of estate planning, next you’ll need to consider which people will help you carry out your wishes for your ...
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What Is The Best Age to Plan Your Estate?

Many people think that they should start planning their estates when they reach their mid to late sixties. We know that the normal progression of life is to get a college degree, start a career, get ...
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Can a Church Be a Beneficiary of an IRA?

If you will have money left over in your individual retirement account when you pass, then it’s up to you to decide who is to receive those funds after your death. Can you leave your IRA to your ...
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What Occurs When One Heir in a Will Dies?

When a person engages in estate planning, they typically identify which people they want to receive their property through their will. However, on occasion a beneficiary named in a will dies before ...
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What You Should Know About Estate Taxes

What is estate tax? As the owner of assets and property, it is a tax on your right to transfer your property when you die. The estate tax consists of an accounting of everything that you own or have ...
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Planning for Mental Disability

According to the National Institute on Aging (NIH), the spike in the average life expectancy in the 20th century is one of the greatest achievements of modern society. Though most of the babies that ...
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Why Americans Need Medicaid Planning

One of the greatest fears that Baby Boomers and aging Americans have is that they may end up in a nursing home. If this happens, they don't want to drain all of their assets in the process, ...
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Should I Avoid Probate?

You've probably heard all about the living trust and how it can be used to "avoid probate" when you pass away. Probate is the court-supervised process of validating a will, appointing an ...
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Special Needs Trusts for Disabled Individuals

Working with disabled clients and their family members is one of the most rewarding aspects of an estate planning attorney's job. One of the most important reasons for working with a young, ...
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An Overview of Conservatorships

With advances in modern medicine, America's elderly population is living longer than ever before. With seniors living into their 70s, 80s and beyond, we are seeing a greater need for ...
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Changing Beneficiaries After a Divorce

If you're filing for divorce, estate planning is probably the last thing on your mind. However, once your divorce is finalized, you need to update your estate planning documents. If you don't, ...
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An Overview of Ancillary Probate

Settling your loved one's estate can be difficult, but conducting two separate probates in different states can be even harder. If a decedent lived in one state, and passed with solely owned ...
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Estate Planning to 'Protect' Your Children

If you're a parent, you likely want some, if not the majority of your estate to go to your children. In the scheme of things, this is the ultimate goal, however, if your children are minors, ...
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Second Marriages, Blended Families & Probate

Second marriages can be rewarding on so many levels, namely a second chance at happiness. If you're like a lot of couples, you and your spouse have children from previous relationships, and you ...
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Fiduciary Duties of Estate Representatives

If you have been appointed as an executor or an administrator of an estate, in the eyes of the law you are what is called a fiduciary. A fiduciary is an individual whom another has placed a great deal ...
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What Happens When People Die Without a Will?

If you're considering meeting with an attorney to draw up the customary estate planning documents, you may be wondering what happens when people die without a will. First, it's important to ...
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Living Wills for Medical Decisions

If something were ever to happen to you; for example, if you were seriously injured in an auto accident, or if you were on your death bed due to a disease such as cancer, wouldn't you want to have ...
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What are the Grounds for a Will Contest?

While some families are transparent about their intentions over how their assets will be distributed upon their death, others keep the details to themselves and prefer to have their heirs learn about ...
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Are All Assets Subject to Probate?

What is probate? Probate is the court-supervised process of validating a decedent's will, paying off the decedent's debts, and ensuring that the decedent's assets go to the rightful ...
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Why You Need to Keep Your Beneficiaries Updated

When is the last time that you took a look at your beneficiary designations? If it's been a long time, you may find that the people you put down 5, 10, or 15 years ago are not who you would put ...
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Will I Have to Pay Inheritance Tax?

When a person passes away, they typically provide a will that designates heirs of their property and assets. In some states, taxes are placed on the property beneficiaries inherit. These states ...
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Avoid Costly Delays in Probate By Planning Now

Probate is used to distribute a decedent's assets and property to their beneficiaries. This process is often dreaded by those facing it. Not only is it emotionally challenging to navigate the ...
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Claiming Life Insurance as a Beneficiary

Most life insurance policies list a beneficiary to their policy. The beneficiary is the person to whom the policy is meant to be paid out to upon the death of the primary holder. Usually, this is not ...
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Find the Right Probate Attorney for You

Building your estate plan involves a lot more than legal concerns, but can be an intensely personal process as well. Hiring an attorney that is not only skilled in the law but is also capable of ...
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