Recent Posts in Estate Planning Category

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Why You May Want a Living Trust

The majority of Americans understand the reasons why they need a will. After all, most adults are very familiar with wills, but less people understand living trusts. Often, estate planning attorneys ...
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Inheritance Rights of Stepchildren

With the divorce rate in the United States averaging around 50 percent, it’s understandable why we have millions of blended families. Since there are so many complicated family situations, a lot ...
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Inherited Retirement Accounts 101

A large percentage of American workers have a retirement account of some sort, whether it’s an IRA or a 401(k), therefore, it’s important to know how to properly plan for these assets in ...
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How a Living Trust Avoids Probate

If you are like most people, you want to leave as much money as possible to your spouse, children, grandchildren or other heirs, and you want to limit court costs and legal fees as much as possible so ...
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Why We Put Off Estate Planning

In April of 2016, Prince died without a will, meaning Prince died “intestate.” Considering the size of Prince’s estate, it could take years to sort out. The fact that Prince died ...
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Estate Planning After a Grey Divorce

Divorce is difficult, whether you’ve been married for 5 years or 25, but it’s especially hard on couples who have been married for decades, who spent years putting money into savings, ...
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For the Blended Family, Estate Planning is Tricky

Are you divorced, remarried, or widowed? If so, estate planning will be extra tricky. If you’re one of the millions of Americans who are in a blended family situation, you will simply have more ...
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Why Medicaid Planning is a Must

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living (ACL), in 2014, the older population (individuals 65 and older) was 46.2 million in the United States ...
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What Probate Has to Do With You

Probate is a court-supervised process where a decedent’s will is validated, an executor or personal representative is appointed, and the decedent’s affairs are wrapped up – all under ...
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Why Do People Avoid Probate?

If you are about to begin the estate planning process, you may be thinking ahead to probate and wondering, “Should I arrange my estate so that it avoids probate altogether?” This is a good ...
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Same-Sex Couples & Planning for the Future

In June 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court made history when it decided that same-sex couples could legally marry in all states, but this landmark decision did not resolve all the financial issues faced by ...
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Estate Planning for Your Blended Family

About half of all first marriages end in divorce. With that in mind, there is a strong probability that you are a stepparent, your spouse is, or your ex has remarried and your son or daughter is in a ...
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Estate Planning: Protecting Digital Assets

When you die, what will happen to the songs you downloaded on iTunes? Will your Facebook account stay floating in cyberspace long after you’re gone? As our society becomes more technologically ...
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Estate Planning for Singles

Today, there are more singles than ever before. With the divorce rate being 50 percent for first marriages and even higher for second and third marriages, it’s not surprising that America has a ...
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Reasons to Consider a Pour-Over Will

By drafting a will, you’re telling the world whom you want to receive your assets after you pass away. If you die without one, it’s up to the state to decide who gets what, regardless of ...
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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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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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