Estate Planning

Estate plans allow you to instruct how your assets and investments are handled after you pass away. Estate planning is a process you should be engaging with for the rest of your life.  An estate plan can be updated at any time. Before you make changes to your estate...

If you’re named as an estate executor, the estate plan itself does give you guidelines for what the other individual wanted. But you are the person who is in charge of ensuring that those guidelines are followed. For example, perhaps the person has three adult...

You may be concerned that leaving an inheritance to some of your family members is a mistake. You’ve seen how these beneficiaries use their money, and you’re afraid that they will waste their inheritance very quickly. You may have spent decades saving up this money,...

Are you the parent or guardian of someone with a serious mental or physical disability that’s not expected to significantly improve? You want to protect their interests both while you’re able to care for them and after you’re gone.  That’s where SNTs or special needs...

It’s not uncommon for people to leave an inheritance to someone who has no need or desire to have it. Most of these things are easy enough to give away, donate, sell or just stow away in a closet. Maybe your grandmother left you her fur coats, which you find...

One aspect of estate planning that can easily be overlooked or underestimated is the importance of beneficiary designations. These seemingly mundane choices can profoundly impact the distribution of your assets after your passing.  A beneficiary designation specifies...

When a testator passes away, the executor of the estate is responsible for submitting a valid will to probate court. In most cases, the executor is then responsible for the execution of the estate. The duties of the executor can extend to contacting beneficiaries and...

In an estate plan, the testator typically makes a will. A will is a legal document that outlines how an estate is distributed and who should benefit from it. Unfortunately, a will dispute can put a halt to the deceased’s last wishes. Someone might contest a will...

Regarding legal matters, two terms often used interchangeably but possessing distinct differences are estate administration and probate administration. Understanding these differences is crucial, especially if you are currently navigating the aftermath of a loved...

In legal matters and the protection of vulnerable individuals, two terms often emerge: guardianships and conservatorships. While they may seem similar at first glance, they serve distinct purposes. Below are the differences between guardianships and conservatorships,...