My Dad’s Estate Plan: Good But Not Great
I remember a phone conversation I had with my dad on Jan. 15, 1991. His 47th birthday was the day before and I had forgotten to call him. It was also the first day of the first Gulf War. As I sat on the floor of my college dorm hallway on the community phone we […]
Have You Insured Your Family?
A colleague of mine recently told me that having a strong estate plan is like insuring your family. I thought that was a great analogy. Most of us spend thousands of dollars a year on insurance: car insurance, house insurance, health insurance, and life insurance. And while some of these only protect assets, the latter protects […]
Putting the Pieces in Place
I have always enjoyed puzzles. I remember working on one when I was about 11 or 12. It was a black cat against a black background. The only colors were in the cat’s eyes and whiskers. That puzzle took a while to complete. Have you ever worked on a puzzle where you are almost done […]
The Importance of Keeping Your Estate Planning Documents Updated
Becky Cholewka: Hi, everyone. One thing I always want to remind people is you need to make sure that you are keeping your legal documents updated. Every few years, I’d like you to make sure that you’re going back to your estate planning attorney and having them review to see if there’s been any new […]
Discussing Your Estate Plan With Your Family
Becky Cholewka: Sometimes you want to make sure that you have discussions with your family regarding your estate plan so that there are no surprises. However, that’s a really particular individualized call. For example, there are some families that are just really fractured, or maybe we are disinheriting some children. We know that if we […]
Blast from the Past Meets my Future
I was very athletic growing up and loved running track. I even got a track scholarship in college. I ran sprints: 100 meters, 100 meter hurdles, 200 meters, and the 4×100 relay. My absolute favorite was the 200 meters. I was great running the turns. Except on days when the Cottonwood trees were blooming. I […]
Are My Estate Planning Documents from Another State Valid in Arizona
Becky Cholewka: One of my questions that I get most when I go out and do public speaking is, “Becky, I’ve moved from another state, and is my document from that state going to be valid here?” When we’re talking about legal documents, your document can be a valid legal document if it was executed […]
47 Years, 4 Days
On February 23rd this year I will be celebrating my 47th Birthday. I’ve been dreading this one for a while. Not dread really, but anxious about the overwhelming emotions I know I will experience. Four days after my birthday, I will have lived as long as my dad. Breathe. I have thought of this day […]
Resolve to make a Resolute Resolution!
Many of us make New Year’s Resolutions at the beginning of each year. Some we stick to, some we don’t. Some last a few days, others may take several months for us to complete. To resolve to do something is to make up one’s mind or decide firmly. Resolute is being determined, steadfast, unwavering, purposeful. […]
Putting Your Funeral Wishes in Writing
Becky Cholewka: One of the things that estate planning can do is also help plan for your funeral. In a will, or trust, or power of attorney, we can put in your wishes as far as whether you’d like to buried or cremated. You could also have additional documents that are not legal documents. They’re just […]