The debate goes on inside your head as you create an estate plan. Who should be your executor? Traditionally, people have named their oldest adult child as the executor of their estate. However, that tradition does not always hold up. Your executor does not have to be...
Estate Planning
Reasons to plan your estate ahead of time
Estate planning is a topic that comes up often among older adults and their adult children. It is not the most pleasant topic to discuss, but topics surrounding estate planning are necessary conversations for everyone to have. One mistake that people make is waiting...
3 important parts of an estate plan
Estate planning is not as complicated or stressful as you might think. Creating a solid estate plan now will lessen the amount of stress on the loved ones you eventually leave behind. 1. Name beneficiaries Writing a detailed will is your opportunity to ensure the...
Estate planning tips for women
On average, women outlive men by five years. As a result, many women are responsible for making critical decisions about what happens to their family's estate. These tips can help women with their estate planning decisions. Learn about estate-planning The ideal time...
What else goes into an estate plan besides a will?
A will documents your wishes for a probate judge to follow. While this document is integral to a comprehensive estate plan, what else should you include? When sitting down to hash out the details of how you want your estate divided after death, you should also...
A spendthrift trust protects beneficiaries from themselves
Through the ups and downs of their lives from childhood to adulthood, you have always loved your children. Along the way, though, you questioned some of the financial decisions they made, making you think carefully as you created an estate plan. If thrust in such a...
The many ways in which an estate planning attorney helps
You have delayed long enough and want to put the hesitation behind you. It is time to create an estate plan. You want to be the one who decides what happens to your assets and who will get them. However, you also understand that you know little about the estate...
Will Your Family Argue About Your Will?
At its core, an estate plan is about your family. This collection of documents helps people organize their assets, draft trusts, assign power of attorney and name beneficiaries. Though parents have the best intentions in mind with their planning, some of their heirs...
Strategies for minimizing the risk of estate litigation
Nobody wants the death of a loved one to turn into a family feud among the survivors, but money can do strange things to people. As well as you know your relatives, you will never know for sure that one of your family members might not object to the way your assets...
Is it time for a guardianship for your special needs loved one?
Most adults have the legal authority to handle their own affairs. They work jobs, pay rent or a mortgage and maintain their own household. When they need medical care, they decide what to do after looking into all of their options. Still, there are adults who are not...