The term “estate planning” may sound like something just for millionaires but that’s furthest from the truth. Everyone, whether young, old, a student, an athlete, single, married, or a CEO, needs a plan for the future and there are no pre-qualifiers.… Read more
Estate Planning Tips to Protect Your Legacy
How do you have a conversation with your parents about estate planning? My first impulse is to answer to this question with the statement, “Very carefully.” Your parents are your parents and you are their child no matter how old you are.… Read more
During the holiday season, there are many events that we look forward to- trimming the tree, cooking with our family, and enjoying time with our loved ones over the exchanging of gifts. One exchange that your family could be avoiding, however, is the conversation that is most important: what will occur when one, or both, of your parents pass away.… Read more
Let’s start with a question: True or False? “You should create your own plan (will/trust/powers of attorney) or do it yourself instead of letting someone else create it for you.” Be careful to think this one through before answering. If you have read my article on “Will Kits” [1] you’re probably thinking “False!… Read more
Yes, I know, it’s not easy talking about this topic. It is, however, necessary. In the month preceding the drafting of this article our firm has assisted three different families in their efforts to obtain court appointment of conservators (persons appointed by the court to manage finances and assets for another person) for the benefit of a loved one.… Read more
Most of the time when we think of our estate plans, we think only of what will happen to our assets when we are old and gray? However, have you ever considered what would happen if you and/or your spouse were not here tomorrow?… Read more
Congratulations on planning ahead for your child’s educational future! A 529 college savings plan is a great idea for many families. Now that you have established the 529 plan, you may be wondering if you should still talk to an attorney about creating a trust to handle any assets you leave behind?… Read more
I’m sure that you have considered this before: “Who takes over someone’s Facebook account once their gone?” Or, “How can I make sure my kids can access my Instagram photos if I leave?” Let’s face it, in today’s day and time social media usage has become commonplace in our culture.… Read more
Times have changed. There was a time when it was common for our evening dinner to be harvested in our yard earlier in the same day. In our offices, “cut and paste” literally meant to “cut and paste” and fax machines were cutting edge.… Read more
Let’s expose the elephant in the [virtual] room right from the beginning. Brace yourself! We all age every year, and the older we get, questions regarding aging, managing affairs, long-term care, and the care of our families become much more relevant.… Read more
During my time as an estate planning attorney I have had the privilege of working with individuals and couples that were very interested in preventing family drama and settling anticipated disputes among their children and other family members. These individuals knew their children well.… Read more
Earlier this year I conducted research involving safes that can be kept at home to provide safety and quick access to important documents, and other material. I saw information that discussed the importance of a fireproof safe (according to a report issued by the National Fire Protection Association, in 2013 there were 1,240,000 fires reported in the United States for a total of $11.5 billion in property damage).… Read more
