Important Estate Planning Issues to Address Before You Leave on Vacation
Important Issues to Address Before You Leave on Vacation Getting ready to embark on your next great adventure? Before you zip up the last suitcase, here are five issues you need to address to protect yourself and your loved ones. Do you have a foundational estate plan? Has it been reviewed? An estate plan is […]
Your Planning Team for Your Next Adventure
When planning your next great travel adventure, you may decide that you can do it yourself. You know what you and your travel companions want to see and do, how much you are willing to pay, and the most convenient times to travel. While making travel arrangements may be okay to do yourself, you need […]
Three Reasons to Avoid Probate
When you pass away, your family may need to sign certain documents as part of a probate process in order to claim their inheritance. In Oklahoma, this can happen if you own property (like a house, car, bank account, investment account, or other asset) in your name only and you have not completed a beneficiary, […]
Assisted Reproductive Technology and the Real Impact on Estate Planning
According to data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 2 percent of all infants born in the United States (83,946 in 2019) were conceived using assisted reproductive technology (ART).[1] ART is defined by the CDC as all fertility treatments in which both eggs and embryos are handled. It can involve […]
Estate Planning for Vacation Homes
Important Questions to Ask When Investing in a Vacation Property According to the National Association of Home Builders, in 2018 there were approximately 7.5 million second homes, making up 5.5 percent of the total number of homes.[1] These homes are not only real estate that must be planned for, managed, and maintained, they are […]
An Estate Plan Should Not Be a Set-It-and-Forget-It Endeavor
An Estate Plan Should Not Be a Set-It-and-Forget-It Endeavor As we all know, life happens. There is really nothing we can do about it. However, some of the most common life events can have a dramatic effect on your estate plan. If you think your estate plan is like a slow cooker and you can […]
Estate Planning Considerations for Couples with an Age Gap
With couples of similar ages, planning for the future is naturally a joint effort. However, if you are married to someone who is significantly older or younger than you, the future can look different and mean different things to each of you. To protect yourself, your spouse, and other loved ones, you need to have […]
Why a Joint Pour-Over Trust May be Right for You
Yours, Mine, and Ours: How Including a Pour-Over Trust Can Simplify Your Planning A number of married couples think about their accounts and property as “yours, mine, and ours,” especially if either or both spouses have gotten or will be getting remarried, married late in life, or have brought or will be bringing significant […]
Estate Planning: A New Year’s Resolution for Your Family
Estate Planning: A New Year’s Resolution for Your Family In January, callers to our office echo a common refrain: establishing or updating their est ate plan is a New Year’s Resolution. Being newlyweds, Tyler and I can relate. On your seemingly endless to-do list, estate planning may feel more like a “have to” than a […]
Bankruptcy’s Effects on Estate Planning
Bankruptcy’s Effects on Estate Planning Bankruptcy may be one of the last things on your mind when you are creating an estate plan. Fortunately, the number of bankruptcy filings has declined over the past several years, but there were still a whopping 544,463 bankruptcy filings in 2020.[1] What happens to your estate if you file […]