Posts Categorized: Estate Planning

The Recipe for a Satisfying Estate Plan

by Tara Cheever ~ Attorney at Law December 28, 2020 Estate Planning, Guardians for Minor Children, Healthcare, Personal Representative, Power of Attorney, Trustee, Trusts, Wills

Misconceptions about who needs an estate plan abound. Most people believe that estate planning is only for extremely wealthy business moguls or celebrities. But that could not be further from the truth. Estate planning is the process of making decisions about what happens to you, your money, and your property when you pass away or can no longer make decisions for yourself. Thus, estate planning should be standard practice for every adult age eighteen or older.

To learn more about Cheever Law, APC and estate planning, please register for our FREE educational Life & Legacy Planning Webinar. We look forward to serving you! READ MORE

4 Tips for Talking About Estate Planning with Your Family Over the Holidays

by Tara Cheever ~ Attorney at Law December 22, 2020 Estate Planning, Healthcare, Incapacity, Trustee, Wills

With COVID-19 still raging, your 2020 holiday season may not feature the big family get-togethers of years past, but you’ll still likely be visiting with loved ones in some fashion, whether via video chat or in smaller groups. And though the holidays are always a good time to bring up estate planning, given the ongoing pandemic, talking about these issues is particularly urgent this time around. READ MORE

Remarrying In Midlife? Avoid Accidently Disinheriting Your Loved Ones

by Tara Cheever ~ Attorney at Law December 8, 2020 Asset Protection, Estate Planning, Trusts

Today, we’re seeing more and more people getting divorced in middle age and beyond. Indeed, the trend of couples getting divorced after age 50 has grown so common, it’s even garnered its own nickname: “gray divorce.”

With divorce coming so late in life, the financial fallout can be quite devastating. Indeed, Bloomberg.com found that the standard of living for women who divorce after age 50 drops by some 45%, while it falls roughly 21% for men. Given the significant decrease in income and the fact people are living longer than ever, it’s no surprise that many of these folks also choose to get remarried.

And those who do get remarried frequently bring one or more children from previous marriages into the new union, which gives rise to an increasing number of blended families. Regardless of age or marital status, all adults over age 18 should have some basic estate planning in place, but for those with blended families, estate planning is particularly vital. READ MORE

Getting Divorced? Don’t Overlook These 4 Updates to Your Estate Plan – Part 2

by Tara Cheever ~ Attorney at Law November 19, 2020 Asset Protection, Estate Planning, Trusts, Wills

Going through divorce can be an overwhelming experience that impacts nearly every facet of your life, including estate planning. Yet, with so much to deal with during the divorce process, many people forget to update their plan or put it off until it’s too late.

Last week in part one, we discussed the first two changes you should make to your plan: updating your beneficiary designations and power of attorney documents. Here in part two, we’ll cover the final updates to consider. READ MORE

Black Panther Star Chadwick Boseman Dies Without A Will – Part 2

by Tara Cheever ~ Attorney at Law November 6, 2020 Asset Protection, Estate Planning, Trusts, Wills

Last week in part one, we discussed a few potential explanations for this apparent blind spot in Boseman’s estate plan, and how the young actor might have prevented the situation by creating a pour-over will to be used as a backup to any trusts he had put in place. Here in part two, we’ll focus on another critical component of Boseman’s estate plan – incapacity planning.

Regardless of his age or health condition, Boseman, like all adults over 18 years old, should have three essential planning documents in place to protect against potential incapacity from illness or injury. These include a medical power of attorney, living will, and durable financial power of attorney. READ MORE

Black Panther Star Chadwick Boseman Dies Without A Will – Part 1

by Tara Cheever ~ Attorney at Law October 29, 2020 Estate Planning, Trust Administration & Probate, Trusts, Wills

On October 15th, nearly two months after the death of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, his wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, filed documents with the Los Angeles probate court seeking to be named administrator of his estate. Earlier this year, Boseman and Ledward were married, and the marriage gives Ledward the right to any assets held in Boseman’s name at his death.

What makes Boseman’s story somewhat unique from the others is that it seems likely the young actor put some estate planning tools in place, but it’s possible he didn’t quite finish the job. Based on the number of hit films he starred in and how much he earned for those films, several sources have noted that Boseman’s assets at the time of his death should have been worth far more than the approximately $939,000 listed in probate court documents. READ MORE

Once Your Kids Are 18, Make Sure They Sign These Documents

by Tara Cheever ~ Attorney at Law October 1, 2020 Estate Planning, Healthcare, Power of Attorney

While estate planning is probably one of the last things your teenage kids are thinking about, given the dire threat coronavirus represents, when they turn 18, it should be their (and your) number-one priority. Here’s why: At 18, they become legal adults in the eyes of the law, so you no longer have the authority to make decisions regarding their healthcare, nor will you have access to their financial accounts if something happens to them. READ MORE

COVID-19 Highlights Critical Need for Advance Healthcare Directives—Part 2

by Tara Cheever ~ Attorney at Law September 24, 2020 Estate Planning, Healthcare

With new cases of COVID-19 currently surging in dozens of states, doctors across the country are joining lawyers in urging Americans to create the proper estate planning documents, so medical providers can better coordinate their treatment and care should they become hospitalized with the virus.

The most crucial planning tools for this purpose are medical power of attorney and a living will, advance healthcare directives that work together to help describe your wishes for medical treatment and end-of-life care should you become unable to express your own wishes. While all adults over age 18 should put these documents in place as soon as possible, if you are over age 60 or have a chronic underlying health condition, the urgency is paramount. READ MORE

COVID-19 Highlights Critical Need for Advance Healthcare Directives—Part 1

by Tara Cheever ~ Attorney at Law September 15, 2020 Estate Planning, Healthcare, Incapacity

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the country, doctors across the nation are joining lawyers in urging Americans to create the proper estate planning documents, so medical providers can better coordinate their care should they become hospitalized with the virus.

The most critical planning tools for this purpose are medical power of attorney and a living will, advance healthcare directives that work together to help describe your wishes for medical treatment and end-of-life care in the event you’re unable to express your own wishes. In light of COVID-19, even those who have already created these documents should revisit them to ensure they are up-to-date and address specific scenarios related to the coronavirus. READ MORE

Avoiding Financial Grief: How to Protect Your Significant Other from Frozen Accounts

by Tara Cheever ~ Attorney at Law August 24, 2020 Estate Planning, Power of Attorney, Trust Administration & Probate

The death of a loved one is one of the most difficult times in a person’s life. Nothing can truly prepare a person for such a loss. However, dealing with the financial stress of frozen bank accounts can exacerbate the stress. Without proper planning, your significant other could struggle to gain access to your accounts. The frustration is especially distressing if the frozen account was the primary source for paying joint or household expenses. READ MORE

How to Avoid the Need For a Prenuptial Agreement – Part 1

by Tara Cheever ~ Attorney at Law August 5, 2020 Estate Planning

If you’re counting down the days to your wedding, divorce is probably the last thing you and your fiancé want to be thinking about, and yet you might be rightfully concerned about what would happen to your assets in the event of a divorce – or your death. In this two-part series, I’ll first discuss the pros and cons of prenuptial agreements, and then in part two, provide estate-planning alternatives you may want to consider. READ MORE