Newlyweds kissing on the Beach

“Parents may delay creating an elder law estate plan, because of the in-law issue. Some parents are unfortunately estranged from an adult child, only because of the problematic son-in-law or daughter-in-law.” Let’s say you want to leave everything you own to your children, but you can’t stand and don’t trust their spouses. That might make […]

Elderly lady typing on laptop. Shallow DOF.

“One Justice from the Florida Supreme Court commented that the expensive litigation far outweighed any savings resulting from the pre-printed form.” Here’s a real world example of why what seems like a good idea backfires, as reported in The National Law Review’s article “Unintended Consequences of a Do-It-Yourself Estate Plan“. Mrs. Ann Aldrich wrote her […]

Wills-trusts-and-estates-covered

“Last wills and testaments, which were invented centuries ago, are the most famous estate-planning documents.” Everyone knows what a last will and testament is. However, a will is not always the best way to distribute your assets, explains the Times Herald-Record in the article “Living trusts are better choice than wills“. Most people think that […]

fortune cookie

For nearly two decades, celebrity tabloids and the estate planning bar have had a shared interest in the long-running litigation between Anna Nicole Smith’s estate and the estate of J. Howard Marshall II. A recent decision may bring the battle to a close – or it may simply be on pause. It is sad that […]