Deciding Who Will Raise Your Children if You Are Divorced
Becky Cholewka: One of the most difficult choices for folks when they are dealing with the estate planning documents if they have minor kids is who’s going to raise those minor kids if something should happen to both parents. That actually gets even more complicated if a couple divorces because now sometimes through that divorce, […]
Tragic Lessons from Bobbi Kristina Brown
We’ve been following the tragic story of Bobbi Kristina Brown—Whitney Houston’s daughter— who was found unresponsive in her bathtub and hospitalized since January 31. It’s a tragic story really. Not because of the fact of who she is, but because we don’t expect 21 year-olds to be in a coma… or a 19-year-old to die […]
The ABC’s of RLT’s
A Revocable Living Trust (RLT) is an estate planning tool that A) distributes assets outside of probate, B) provides for incapacity planning for the trustmaker, and C) provides asset protection for beneficiaries. A RLT is created by a trustmaker (also called grantor). The trustmaker chooses a trustee and successor trustees to manage and distribute property […]
A Few Things You May Not Know About Wills
If you care about who gets your assets after you die, you know you need a will. However, there are many things about wills that a lot of people don’t know. Here are four of them, says a story on DailyFinance.com: 1) You have to follow formalities, even in the digital age Laws concerning […]
Estate Planning For People Under 40
You can’t start estate planning too early. The earlier you begin, the better you will be prepared for life’s ups and downs. And if you have a family, you really better get started. Here are some estate planning tips for those under age 40, as outlined in a story on usnews.com.
Is Your Estate Plan A Trojan Horse?
On January 31st this year, the Chinese celebrate the Year of the Horse. Which got me thinking about famous horses: Black Beauty, Secretariat, Trigger, Sea Biscuit, Silver, the Budweiser Clydesdales, Man O’ War, Pokey, and even the Trojan Horse. That famous tale, expertly depicted in the Brad Pitt film Troy, recounts how the Greeks hid […]
Will Your Child Become Little Orphan Annie?
Be Prepared! Although I was never a Boy Scout, their motto rings true for all of us. I remember my early days of being a first-time mom and the effort and skill it took to pack the diaper bag. I never knew what to expect so I planned for every contingency… diapers, wipes, toys, extra […]
Five Things to Look for in a Guardian for your Children
If a parent dies without a will and there is no surviving parent to care for the child, the court will determine who will care for the child. The court may not choose the person you would want to raise your child, so the best thing you can do is name one yourself. Before naming […]
Are You Playing Russian Roulette With Your Family? Why Estate Planning Is Urgent
Attorneys love to ask questions. So here are two to start. Will you live forever? Do you know when and how you will die? If you answered no to both of these questions (and you should have) estate planning should be one of your highest priorities. Why? Because families are most vulnerable when they […]
Trigger Events That Require Review of Your Estate Plan
Almost as important as creating an estate plan is updating it. While an estate plan should at least be reviewed on a yearly basis, there are certain trigger events that require immediate review of your estate planning documents. A recent article discusses some of these events. It is important to remember that trigger events should […]