As a parent age, they lose their ability to think clearly and make meaningful decisions. This growing inability may occur due to Alzheimer’s disease, other forms of dementia, mental illness, stroke, brain injury, or other severe health or disability conditions.…
An estate will details who will receive a deceased person's property and which person (called the executor) will be responsible for settling the estate after death. For many reasons, beneficiaries can feel slighted by what they did or didn’t receive,…
Family values and assets can be difficult to address and legally formalize, especially if parents wait too long to begin instilling them. Undoubtedly the best time to teach and empower your children as eventual inheritors of your family legacy is…
In terms of setting up wills and estate plans, older Americans outpace their younger counterparts. Still, a significant number — 19 percent of those over age 72 and 42 percent of those between 53 and 71, according to survey data…
For estate planning, wills and trusts offer specific and quite different advantages. Each state has specific laws and regulations governing these legal documents. You can have both a will and a trust; however, the information in each should complement the…
In theory, passing your property to your heirs should be straightforward. You make a will or a trust, you do a transfer-on-death deed for your real estate, you put your kids on your bank account, you designate beneficiaries for your…
The process of getting a divorce is usually not an easy one. There is a lot of stress and emotion involved. There are many factors to consider that may also change over time. For younger couples, children are likely a…
Planning your estate comprehensively requires careful thought and conversation with your partner. Before meeting with an estate planning attorney, it is best to discuss your ideas to present a united goal. This conversation can be challenging if you and your…
No matter what stage of your estate planning process you are at, a letter of instruction is an integral part of the process. A letter of instruction can help your loved ones manage important information about you. A LOI conveys…
The documents you use for your estate planning should be checked occasionally, especially if there have been big life changes such as births, marriages, divorces, and relocations. Children grow up, marriages dissolve, property gets sold, and residences change. That’s why…