There’s no doubt that your parents have survived frightening world events, whether that was World War II, the war in Vietnam, nuclear threat, illness, poverty, civil unrest, or all of the above. However, the use of the word “unprecedented” regarding what’s happening now is not an exaggeration. And they may not understand it all or […]
The Most Important Legal and Financial Actions to Take Right Now
As you already know, the COVID-19 pandemic means nothing is business as usual. Many states have implemented a “shelter-in-place” order to limit the spread of the disease; however, if you are not in a place with such an order, or if your parents are not following it, you may want to refer to our previous […]
Are You Clear About How Your Parents Estate Plan Will Impact You?
Do your parents have an estate plan? Is it up to date? No matter how rich or poor you or your parents are, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, you need to be asking these and several other questions. When your parents become incapacitated or die, their affairs will become your responsibility, and […]
What You Should Know About Guardianship – In Case a Parent or Loved One Becomes Incapacitated
Whether through illness, injury, or other means, anyone can require a guardian to become appointed if they become mentally incapacitated. In such cases, if there is no estate planning in place (or insufficient planning) to keep family or other loved one’s out of court, a guardianship, or conservatorship as it is sometimes called, must be […]
Ready to Write Your Will? Consider This Before You Go it Alone or Online
A last will and testament is the most commonly thought of document when it comes to an estate plan. But, really, it’s a very small part of an integrated plan that ensures your family stays out of Court and out of conflict when something happens to you. Don’t think you can just write your own […]
Easy Mistakes to Avoid When Passing Assets to Your Child
Setting up a trust fund for your children can ensure that the money you are leaving behind for them is taken care of for them, in the way that you want. But your efforts in completing this important, yet somber task can be ruined by making one of these common mistakes. Leaving Assets Outright to […]
Three Health Care Documents You Need to Include in Your Estate Plan
Decisions about your health care are some of the most important you will ever make. Don’t put off making plans until you are unable to assert your wishes. Including health care documents in your estate plan can ensure your decisions are always your choice, even if you cannot speak for yourself. Health care documents that […]
The Pitfalls of DIY Wills: Lessons Learned from a Florida Probate Case
DIY wills are becoming more prevalent as legal services can now be accessed easily online. For better or worse, more and more people are turning to online services to meet their legal needs, maybe even you. Here’s what you need to know before you decide to create your own will, using an online service, or […]
Avoid This Major Mistake When Adding an IRA to Your Estate Plan
Some people assume that because they’ve named a specific heir as the beneficiary of their IRA in their will or trust that there’s no need to list the same person again as beneficiary in their IRA paperwork. Because of this, they often leave the IRA beneficiary form blank or list “my estate” as the beneficiary. […]
Don’t Forget Your Digital Assets in Your Estate Plan – Part 2
In the first part of this series, we discussed the importance of including your digital assets in your estate plan. Here, we’ll talk about the best ways to get started with this process. Today, estate planning encompasses not just tangible property like finances and real estate, but also digital assets like cryptocurrency, blogs, and social […]