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

Questions & Answers On COVID-19 Tax Changes for 2020—Part 2

by Tara Cheever ~ Attorney at Law October 21, 2020 Business Law, Tax

Last week in part one, we answered questions about tax changes offered by the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC). Here in part two, we’ll wrap up this series by answering questions about the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and four additional tax breaks offered by the CARES Act that could save your business even more on your 2020 taxes. READ MORE

Questions & Answers On COVID-19 Tax Changes for 2020—Part 1

by Tara Cheever ~ Attorney at Law October 12, 2020 Business Law, Tax

Throughout 2020, Congress passed multiple pieces of legislation—most notably the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act—offering numerous forms of tax relief to help businesses like yours deal with the economic fallout of COVID-19.

That said, these new laws have also created a tangled web of new tax and accounting changes that can be quite challenging to keep track of. To help you sort through all of the new programs and ensure your business takes advantage of the full range of tax breaks available, in this two-part series, we’ll provide answers to some commonly asked questions about the coronavirus-related tax changes for 2020. 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

Is It Time to Go Solo(preneur)?

by Tara Cheever ~ Attorney at Law July 11, 2020 Business Law, Estate Planning

There’s nothing like a major change in the economic climate to make you rethink your day job. “Business as usual” currently means a large element of uncertainty about what the future holds for your working life. Whether you’ve lost your job, had your hours cut, or have seen these things happen to people you know, your feeling of security has likely taken a hit. And, maybe that can be a good thing, something that calls you to start taking action. READ MORE

Learning to Flourish, Even in a Financial Crisis

by Tara Cheever ~ Attorney at Law July 8, 2020 Estate Planning

A financial crisis doesn’t have to be a crisis for you or your family. In fact, this could be the perfect time to access the wealth of resources currently available to fund your next level of growth. It’s a time to invest in yourself, and to learn to use your gifts, skills, and talents to serve others in a big way. That way, you won’t have to depend on anyone else, including your job, corporations, or the government, to sustain you. READ MORE

The Basics of Disability Insurance and How It Can Help During COVID

by Tara Cheever ~ Attorney at Law June 17, 2020 Estate Planning

The Americans with Disabilities Act has detailed specifics on what a disability is, but the most basic definition is that an individual has “A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual.” That can apply to a car-accident or other injury, or a debilitating illness documented by a doctor, including mental illness. READ MORE