What Mad Men Can Teach Us About Estate Planning
Anyone who knows me is aware of my love for Mad Men, the critically-acclaimed AMC drama which concluded its run in May. Like most fans of the show, I was sad to see it end. Apart from its entertainment value, Mad Men tackled serious subjects such as identity, race relations and sexism. Reflecting on the […]
5 Little-Known Facts About Probate
We’ve all likely heard of probate. However, most of us probably aren’t aware of the intricacies involved in the court-supervised process for distributing the property of a deceased person. Keeping that in mind, here are five little-known facts about probate. It is avoidable. You can prevent your estate from ending up in probate court by […]
Top 3 Mistakes To Avoid In Your Estate Planning
So, you decided to do estate planning. Congratulations! You are doing the right thing to protect your loved ones if something happens to you. However, that’s just the first step. It’s critical that your documents be set up correctly in order to avoid future problems. With that in mind, let’s take a look The Top […]
“Understanding Estate Planning and Living Trusts” Public Seminar
Whether you have $20 million or just own a modest home and small bank account, everyone should have an estate plan. Wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney and medical directives protect your loved ones, ensure that your wishes are followed and ease the burden on the people to whom your assets pass down. Without these […]
Estate Planning Deficiencies Check-Up
Earlier this summer, I wrote about the importance of keeping your estate plan up to date. How do you know if your estate plan is up to date? In making this determination, there are several things you should think about. Here are a few of the key indicators. First, do you have a will or […]
White House Conference on Aging
Earlier this week, President Obama hosted the 2015 White House Conference on Aging. Experts as well as advocates for older adults and their families convened for the event, which has been held about once a decade since 1961. Among other things, attendees discussed a proposal to help states establish retirement savings programs for people whose […]
What Should Be Included In Durable Power of Attorney?
The durable power of attorney is an important document to have in your estate planning portfolio. It allows a person you trust to make financial and health care decisions on your behalf if you cannot make these decisions on your own. Absent a durable power of attorney, court-ordered guardianship is the only way someone else […]
Estate Planning for Same-Sex Married Couples
With the recent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court legalizing gay marriage nationwide, same-sex couples — especially those who are going to marry — should think about their estate planning needs. Now that states must allow same-sex couples to marry and honor same-sex marriages legally performed in other states, there are several estate planning tools […]
Online Lawyer Directories
In the past, lawyers attracted new clients primarily through word of mouth referrals and, perhaps, ads in the yellow pages. Today, however, many people turn to the internet in order to find a lawyer and meet their legal needs. Two of the most prominent online lawyer directories are Avvo and Justia. These sites allow prospective […]
How to Avoid Probate
My post yesterday focused on when probate is necessary. As I discussed, probate is required whenever a person dies owning property in his or her name alone. There are several downsides to probate, namely, the time and expense to your heirs and the potential for creditor claims and disputes by disgruntled family members. Therefore, when […]