Attractive Mixed Race Couple Portrait in the Park

“My friend prepared his will and specified that his house would go to his girlfriend. She had contributed money to the upkeep, while they were together.” The friend and the girlfriend agreed when they split that she would quitclaim her interest in the house to the friend, in exchange for the amount she contributed to […]

last will and testament

“If you pass away without a will, a state court generally decides who gets your assets and, if you have children, who will care for them.” Former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, who built the giant online retailer Zappos based on “delivering happiness,” died at age 46 from complications of smoke inhalation from a house fire. […]

couple running a bookshop

“In a nutshell, an estate plan encompasses the accumulation, conservation and distribution of an estate. Done well, it will enhance and maintain the financial security of the next generation.” Having a well-prepared estate plan means that you have a plan in place to distribute your home, assets and possessions. However, the estate plan does more, […]

extended family

“The steady drone of coronavirus news these past nine months has spurred countless older Americans to face a long-procrastinated task: writing—or rewriting—their wills.” While many people have had their wills updated or created in response to the pandemic, millions of Americans have yet to do so, reports the article “How to Stop Stalling On Getting […]

Happy Senior Couple

“To ensure a lasting legacy, you need to get your documents in order and have a clear plan for how your wealth will transfer, avoiding taxes and inheritor pitfalls along the way.” Asset distribution is how many estate plans begin, but we can create legacies for generations to come through our estate planning, says Kiplinger […]

Senior couple

“It’s hard to plan for next week, let alone the future, when our environment, the advice from the experts and indeed the outbreak itself, seems to change on a daily basis.” The fear of the unknown and a sense of loss of control is sending many people to estate planning attorney’s offices to have wills, […]

woman looking through the window pane

“If you are caregiving from a distance (you live here and your parent or other loved one is in another state, a distant city or as close as an hour away), it can be even more daunting than doing it in your home.” Trying to coordinate care from a distance becomes a challenge for many, […]

Happy old couple

“Most people wish to have more control over who and how their assets are managed than what the state laws provide, and so they draft documents that can override the Laws of Intestacy, when those laws do not match their objectives.” Transferring the management of assets if and when you are unable to manage them […]

large mixed family

“Although there is often a progression of complexity in estate planning, this progression generally follows stages in life rather than specific ages.” Many people decide they need an estate plan when they reach a certain age, but when an estate plan is needed is less about age than it is about stages in life, explains […]

extended family

“Regardless of the pandemic, experts say it’s important to plan for when you’re not here—that is, give thought to what would happen to your bank accounts, your home and your belongings, as well as, perhaps, your dependents.” As the coronavirus continues to sweep across through the U.S. and the death tolls continue to rise, many […]