As the year draws to a close, you may have many concerns on your mind. For example, you may find yourself thinking about your family relationships as you plan for the holidays, or you may think about your previous vacations as you plan for your annual winter trip. If...
Estate Planning Blog
How do you pick the right guardian for your children?
Becoming a parent changes people. Their child quickly becomes the most important consideration in every decision, ranging from where the family lives to how they spend the holidays. As a new parent, your life has probably changed a lot in the last few years. You will,...
Getting remarried? Revisit your estate plan
You went through a divorce, and you didn’t think you’d remarry again. You left most of your estate plan alone, because in your mind, you would never want to give those assets to anyone other than the spouse who left you. At the time, you felt it was fair to leave them...
How often should you review your estate plan?
An estate plan is a collection of legal documents that help organize your personal and financial affairs. Your estate planning documents may include trusts, wills, your Do-Not-Resuscitate order or other important items that help protect you and your beneficiaries....
5 reasons why a will might need updating
When you create a will, you shouldn’t think of that as a final document. Instead, think of it as a living document that you need to reflect on over time. When you first create a will, there may be people included that aren’t around you in another five or 10 years. You...
Have you properly designated beneficiaries for your estate?
There are generally two kinds of personal information you need when creating your estate plan. Beyond understanding basic probate laws, you also need information about your assets and about the people whom you wish to inherit your property. Your heirs or beneficiaries...
Distinguishing between supplemental needs and special needs trusts
Many parents who have a child with special needs have to concern themselves with: - Ensuring that they've earmarked someone to take care of their child if they are unable to do so - Ensuring they remain eligible for government benefits such as Medicaid - Ensuring...
What you should know about probate
The process in which a court oversees and administers a decedent’s estate is known as “probate,” and many people know very little about this process. All you might have heard about probate is that you should avoid it, but not what you should know about it. Proper...
Planning for family members with special needs
Maybe a doctor recently diagnosed your child with autism. Perhaps you have become the caretaker for your sibling with Down Syndrome now that your parents have died. When someone you love has special needs, you will likely do everything in your power to take care of...
Do you need to change your will after you get a divorce?
If you go through a divorce, one of the things you will need to do is revise your estate plan to address your divorce. Prior to your divorce, you may have identified your ex-spouse as your beneficiary or designated him or her as the heir to your estate. If after...