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 […]
Don’t Forget Your Digital Assets in Your Estate Plan – Part 1
If you’ve created an estate plan, it likely includes traditional wealth and assets like finances, real estate, personal property, and family heirlooms. But unless your plan also includes your digital assets, there’s a good chance this online property will be lost forever following your death or incapacity. What’s more, even if these assets are included […]
6 Steps to Select and Name the Right Guardians for Your Children – Part 2
Last week, we shared the first part of our series on selecting and naming the right guardians for your children. If you haven’t read it yet, you can do so here. Here in part two, we discuss the final three steps in the process. Narrow candidate list, and rank your choices When you’ve come up […]
How to Protect Your Real Estate Assets
If you own real estate, chances are you have purchased insurance to protect your assets against damage or loss. But have you taken the necessary steps to protect your assets against lawsuits or probate? If you own rental properties, there is likely a nagging fear in the back of your mind about being sued by […]
6 Steps to Select and Name the Right Guardians for Your Children – Part 1
One of your most important responsibilities as a parent is to select and legally document guardians for your children. This doesn’t mean just naming godparents or trusting the grandparents will step in if necessary. It means consciously deciding who would raise your children if you cannot. And then it means legally documenting your choices and […]