How to Leave Money to Your Kids Without It Going to Their Spouses Every family has things it would rather keep close. Maybe it is a piece of news, or maybe it is a piece of real estate. Either way, things do not stay in the family on their own. It takes some effort and [...]
How to Talk About Estate Planning Without Ruining Thanksgiving Dinner Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for many Americans. The conversations we have around the table are not always a highlight of the holiday, though, and if not approached with care, can put a damper on dinner that lasts well beyond the gathering. This may be [...]
Strategies for Your Charitable Planning Giving to a cause you care about can be one of the most meaningful parts of your estate plan. Depending on your situation, it may also lower your income taxes or reduce the taxes your estate may owe. Your estate is everything you own when you pass away, such as [...]
What Not to Do When Estate Planning: What Your Attorney Wishes You Knew Having an estate plan, even an imperfect one, is usually better than having no plan at all. But an existing plan can still have serious flaws that defeat its overall goals or objectives. A plan based on misperceptions, including the idea that [...]
Digital Vaults: The Estate Planning Tool Your Family May Be Missing Your family may need access to important information at a time when you cannot explain where it is or how to find it. Bank and investment accounts, insurance policies, medical information, estate planning documents, property records, and online accounts may all be stored in [...]
Can an Estate Plan Include a Right of First Refusal on Property? When a family owns a property with significant financial or emotional value, deciding its future after the owners pass away can be complex. One family member may hope to keep the property in the family, while others might prefer to receive their share [...]
Considerations Before You Head South for the Winter For many snowbirds, cooler weather means it is time to head south. If you are thinking about heading for warmer weather this winter, there are a few things you should consider before hitting the road. Which State Do You Consider Your Home? Residency vs. Domicile for Snowbirds [...]
Your College Student’s Digital Life: The Hidden Estate Planning Gap Nobody Talks About When a child is preparing to leave for college, both the student and the parent may face a period of uncertainty. For many students, college is their first experience living independently. That independence extends beyond just living away from home. It may [...]
Quiz: How Well Do You Know Your Own Estate Plan? As adults, we rarely face a multiple-choice exam or a pop quiz. The tests that come our way tend to be real-life ones: moments that reveal how prepared we actually are for the unexpected. That is how your estate plan is supposed to work. The [...]
When “We’ll Figure It Out” Becomes a Problem When a parent’s health crisis hits, families often discover that what they thought they had figured out fails to hold up under pressure. Grief, exhaustion, and dysfunctional family dynamics can distort verbal understandings, and good intentions do not translate into legal authority. Meanwhile, hospitals, banks, and insurance [...]
