The term “blended family” has become commonplace in our society and refers to a family where one or both spouses were previously married and have children from the prior marriage. In some instances, the new couple goes on to have […]
All of these processes will prevent the need for a court to appoint a guardian for you if you become incapable of managing your own affairs. In my experience, it is important to do everything possible to avoid court and having a non-interested third party judge, who knows nothing about you, from making decisions that will impact your life.
Creating an estate plan is something you do to leave a legacy of care and love for the people who matter to you the most. Working with an attorney who understands your goals and wishes for your family, and can articulate those in a well-crafted estate plan, is a much better alternative than relying on a one-stop shopping experience.
Many people fail to create an estate plan because they don’t truly understand what is involved and therefore believe it is too complicated. But the real truth is that creating an estate plan during your lifetime is far less complicated than what your family will deal with after you are gone, if you don’t.
If you have been named the executor of someone’s estate or the Trustee of a Trust, you may be unaware of all the details this responsibility entails. Most parents name a child as an executor, but seldom do children then […]
Unfortunately, money has a habit of bringing out the worst in people, even in the best of families. One of the most important reasons to get your [city/state] estate plan handled is to keep your family out of conflict. And, […]
The bill approved in Congress to avert the fiscal cliff would bring the first major tax increase on high earners in 20 years. Payroll Taxes Increase to 6.2% from 4.2% (almost a 50% increase) Taxpayers Making $200,000 (Single), $250,000 (Couples) […]
A QTIP trust, or Qualified Terminable Interest Property trust, is a special type of A/B trust. Have I lost you yet? Not to worry… keep reading! Let’s start at the beginning. An A/B trust is a marital trust system comprised […]
The revocable living trust is the basic building block of most estate plans. It’s the tool that allows your estate to avoid the expense, time consumption, and uncertainty of probate court, and it is the tool that can hold just […]
Welcome to politics in 2012! Did you sign up for what we’re getting in America? In many ways, nobody is happy with the landscape. Most of us—Independents, Democrats, and Republicans alike—are unhappy (or even disgusted) with politics in general. It’s […]
