The Importance of Customized Estate Planning for LGBTQ+ Relationships - Part 2
Last week we started the discussion of why it’s so important for LGBTQ+ families to invest in custom estate planning. While major strides for LGBTQ+ rights have been made in recent years, estate planning law is still written with hetero, cisgender couples in mind, which means that your wishes and your rights may not be respected when you die or if you become incapacitated without proper planning in place.
The Importance of Customized Estate Planning for LGBTQ+ Relationships - Part 1
While the legalization of same-gender marriage and increased recognition of LGBTQ+ families has made LGBTQ+ rights more visible than ever before, there is still a large gap in estate planning for LGBTQ+ individuals that could leave your loved ones with a big mess.
Leaving Your Pet in Your Will Won’t Protect Them - Do This Instead
Although it might seem foolproof to leave your pet to someone you trust through your Will, this estate planning tool alone won’t work to protect your pet from an uncertain future. Read more to learn why a Will is not the best planning tool for your pet and what you should do instead to ensure your furry, feathered, or scaly friends are cared for no matter what.
Stephen "tWitch" Boss Dies Without a Will
Stephen “tWitch” Boss, a hip-hop dancer, choreographer, and TV producer known for his role on So You Think You Can Dance and The Ellen Show, passed away suddenly on December 13, 2022. Because Boss died without a Will or Trust, Boss’ widow and three children must navigate the court system to collect his assets. Find out why this cautionary tale is relevant to everyone, not just the rich and famous.
Top 5 Questions To Consider Before Hiring A Lawyer For Your Estate Planning Needs
I know discussing topics like death, incapacity, and other potentially frightening life events, with someone like me, an estate planning lawyer, may feel intimidating or even morbid. Take a deep breath and relax… it doesn’t have to and shouldn’t be that way.
Hiring a lawyer to help you make wise decisions for life and death can be the most empowering choice you ever make for yourself and your loved ones.
Estate Planning Before You Travel: Why It's Critically Important
Vacations can be the perfect opportunity to relax, disconnect from work and responsibilities, and enjoy your spouse, partner, kids’ or friend’s company. But before you head off on your next getaway, there’s something else you should consider doing that might not sound quite as fun—creating an estate plan. While it may not sound like the most thrilling way to spend a day, here are some reasons why you need to think about your estate plans before you travel.
Why Everyone Needs to Keep Their Estate Plan Updated
As the world and its laws continue to evolve, everyone needs to keep their estate plans up to date. An estate plan is a set of documents, such as a will or trust, that dictate how assets will be distributed upon death or incapacity. An individual's current legal and financial situation should be considered to create a comprehensive estate plan tailored specifically to their needs.
Obtaining A Power Of Attorney For Elderly Parents
Making important decisions for aging parents can be a challenging task, but power of attorney (POA) can provide peace of mind and clarity in times of need. POA enables individuals to make crucial decisions on behalf of their parents, such as managing their finances or making medical decisions, when they are unable to do so themselves due to age or illness.
Your Rights As The Parent Of A Young Adult — What You Need To Know When A Medical Crisis Hits
As a parent, you are quite accustomed to managing your children's legal and medical affairs, as circumstances require. If your child requires urgent medical attention while away from you, a simple phone call authorizing care can do the trick. But what happens when those “children” turn 18, now adults in the eyes of the law, and need urgent medical attention far from home?
Keep the Government and Lawsuit Happy Opportunists Away From Your Children’s Inheritance
If you have a current estate plan, I'll bet you plan to leave your assets to your children outright and unprotected by age 35, or maybe a little later. Go take a look at your estate plan, and see what it does right now. And, if you don’t have an estate plan, and you have kids or other people you care about, contact us today and let’s get that handled for you.
5 Reasons Why Shopping For The Cheapest Estate Plan Could Leave Your Family With An Unintended Mess
In most cases, from the most sophisticated business people with the highest net worth to those just starting in the workforce and on their path to adulthood, you very likely do not know how to evaluate estimates when shopping for an estate plan.
Shopping for an estate plan based on getting the lowest cost plan possible is often the fastest path to leaving your family with an empty set of documents (maybe in a beautiful binder, but not worth the paper they are written on) that won’t work for your family when they need it.
Will Your Estate Plan Work When Your Family Needs It?
Like most people, you likely think estate planning is just one more task to check off your life’s endless “to-do” list.
You can shop around and find a lawyer to create planning documents for you or create your own DIY plan using online documents. Then, you’ll put those documents into a drawer, mentally check estate planning off your to-do list, and forget about them.
Being asked by a loved one to serve as Trustee for their Trust upon their death can be quite an honor, but it’s also a significant responsibility—and the role is not for everyone. Indeed, serving as a Trustee entails a broad array of duties, and you are both ethically and legally required to execute those duties or face potential liability.
The first step is to understand the two types of trusts and their different tax consequences.
You've always heard that you should shop around when looking to hire a service.
But hiring an attorney based on who has the lowest price can leave your family with a mess, or worse, a plan that doesn't work when you need it. Do I need a POA?
You know you need to get an estate plan in place, but aren't sure what you even need. You imagine you need a will, but what exactly will it do for your loved ones? What is the difference between a will and a trust? This article will discuss which document might be right for you.
Get instant access to this free guide and learn how DIY legal services, one-size-fits-all legal documents, and price-shopping for legal counsel can lead to:
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