Recent Blog Posts
Estate Planning Doesn’t Just Involve Tax Benefits
Many people see estate planning as a tax-saving strategy and a way to avoid probate—especially since the recent federal estate tax laws doubled estate, federal, gift, and GST tax exemptions to $10,000 per person. However, there are a number of other benefits and details to keep in mind when it comes to approaching your… Read More »
Considering a Durable Power Of Attorney & Health Care Surrogate when your Child Leaves Home
When most people think of estate planning tools like durable power of attorney and healthcare surrogate, they think of older couples making plans for their beneficiaries for when they pass. However, some parents actually set up a health care surrogate and power of attorney for their child when they head off for college in… Read More »
What Won’t a Will Do for You?
Wills are among the simplest estate planning tools and are excellent for addressing a variety of estate planning needs. However, it’s important to realize they will not address all of your estate planning needs. Here are some tasks a will does not accomplish: Leaving certain kinds of property. In most situations, you are not… Read More »
Estate Planning Tips for Young Parents
Young people often do not consider getting their estate plans set, believing it can wait until they are older. But when they become parents, it’s important to at least establish a minimal plan to protect their children in the event of their untimely passing. The following are a few estate planning tips for young… Read More »
Tips for Storing Your Will
A common problem encountered by estate executors is actually finding the estate planning documents they need to carry out a deceased person’s last wishes. Fortunately, with a little bit of planning on your end, this is an easy problem to avoid for your loved ones. The following are some tips for storing your will… Read More »
The Pros and Cons of Using Online Tools to Create Wills
People are using the Internet to do more than ever today, and there is now the option to create wills and other estate planning documents online. But is this a legitimate option for people looking to truly ensure the security of their documents? The following are a few of the pros and cons to… Read More »
When and How to Revoke a Will
If you wish to revoke a will and write a new one, there are several ways you can officially abandon the old document. You can tear it up, burn it or destroy it in any other manner — or you could simply void the will by adding an attachment noting that it is invalid…. Read More »
Are Oral Wills Valid?
An oral will is a one that has been spoken out loud to another person, but not written down. These wills are only valid in limited circumstances, such as if a person has suddenly become ill and is unable to create a written will before passing away. Witnesses who heard the deceased person state… Read More »
What to Consider Before Saying ‘Yes’ to Serving as Someone’s Trustee
You are not legally required to take on the responsibility of trustee if you are asked to do so, or even if you were named trustee without your knowledge. There is typically a list of people named in an estate plan to be potential trustees, and if you decline, the next person will then… Read More »
Tips for Estimating the Value of a Deceased Person’s Real Estate
If you are the executor of an estate that includes a house or another piece of real estate, you will need to figure out exactly how much it is worth. The value of the property could affect estate taxes, along with the probate and asset division processes. In many cases, inheritors will put the… Read More »