When you hear the phrase “estate plan,” you might first think about paperwork. Or you may focus on some of the uncomfortable topics that estate planning entails: end-of-life decisions, incapacity, and your family’s legacy from generation to generation. Those subjects hit home for everyone. But while that could feel like a reason to avoid estate READ MORE
Posts Categorized: Estate Planning
Not Just Death and Taxes: 4 Essential Legal Documents You Need for Incapacity Planning
Comprehensive estate planning is more than your legacy after death, avoiding probate, and saving on taxes, it must contain incapacity planning. A proper estate plan includes a plan in place to manage your affairs if you become incapacitated during your life and can no longer make decisions for yourself. What happens without an incapacity plan? READ MORE
Estate Planning for Women
While everyone is in need of estate planning, women especially need to understand estate planning and have their own plan in place. The following describes why having a estate planning portfolio, which includes a Trust, Will, Durable Power of Attorney and healthcare documentation is so important for women: Incapacity. On average women live longer than READ MORE
Naming a Guardian for your Minor Child(ren)
Parents with minor children need to name someone to raise them (a guardian) in the event both parents should die before the child becomes an adult. While the likelihood of that actually happening is slim, the consequences of not naming a guardian are great. If no guardian is named in the parent’s will, a judge—a READ MORE
An additional Two More Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid
In the last two posts, we discussed why having a complete, up-to-date estate plan is so important by addressing four common estate planning mistakes – not having a plan, not naming guardians for minor children, relying on joint ownership and not having a plan for incapacity. If you haven’t read the previous post, click here. READ MORE
Two More Common Estate Planning Mistakes
If you haven’t already, read Part 1 of this series On Common Estate Planning Mistakes In our last post, we discussed why having a complete, up-to-date estate plan is so important by addressing two common estate planning mistakes – not having a plan and not naming guardians for minor children. Here, we discuss two more READ MORE
Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid
From time to time, it’s good to review why having a complete, up-to-date estate plan is so important. In addition to confirming our own actions, it can provide us with valuable information to pass along to friends and family who need estate planning. Here we discuss two common mistakes: Not having a plan. Every state READ MORE
Common Estate Planning Myths . . . Debunked
Estate planning. You’ve heard the phrase, but do you know what it is? You probably have it on your list of things you should do, but you may not think it’s a priority. . . perhaps because of some of the following common estate planning myths and misconceptions. Myth #1 – Estate planning is only READ MORE
Estate Planning Today Must Include Digital Assets and Social Media
It wasn’t very long ago that we had only paper for financial and tax records. We could simply point to a file cabinet or drawer and tell someone, “Everything is in there when the time comes.” But now we have computers and the internet, and so much of our lives is online. Unless we include READ MORE
Top 10 Reasons for Estate Planning
Top 10 Reasons to complete your Estate Planning NOW READ MORE
The Disadvantages of Online and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Estate Planning
With the number of online and do-it-yourself (DIY) legal providers continuing to grow, some of individuals may be wondering if they could do their estate planning themselves. Most professionals know that DIY estate planning can be very dangerous. While completing the forms may seem easy and straightforward, a single mistake or omission can have far reaching complications that only come to light after the person has died. READ MORE
8 Estate Planning Things to Do before you Travel
Before any trip, most of us create a “to-do list” of things we have put off and want to take care of before we leave. Here is a checklist of estate planning things to do before you take your next trip. Taking care of these will help you travel with peace of mind, knowing that if you don’t return due to serious illness or death, you have made things much easier for those you love. READ MORE