In many families, it’s easier to figure out the ‘who gets what’ part of an estate plan than it is to decide which person should be power of attorney. Which adult child can handle finances, which one is better with decisions during a crisis? Making the decision about which family…
Unless you are raised in a family that talks about money, values and planning, starting a conversation with elderly parents about the same topics can be a little awkward. However, it is necessary. In a perfect world, we’d all have our estate plans created when we started working, updated when…
Balancing careers, children, college funds and aging parents present the same-old scenario, but this time to a new generation with a different value system. Members of Generation X, who straddle a fairly wide age range, from late 30s to early 50s, are feeling the crunch of being responsible for their…
If your will does not address this issue, then your state’s laws will be applied. Speak to an experienced Houston estate planning attorney to see about Texas heir laws. Estate planning attorneys deal with unexpected issues all of the time, and by their nature, some of them involve sensitive and sad topics.…
The roles are reversed when parents age. You can’t count on them to take the lead in having discussions about money, health, aging and other concerns that come in the later years. When you were a kid, your parents were in charge. Now your parents are older, and you must…
The cost of raising a child with special needs is easily twice that of an average child, and college costs are higher as well. Families with special needs children need to plan their child’s future carefully in many regards, and financial concerns are, by necessity, a big part of planning.…
She says her father was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and that’s why he cut her out of the will. However, she also hadn’t seen or spoken to him for more than two decades. There’s a big estate battle brewing in Britain, where the 61-year-old daughter of Reg Grundy, Kim Robin…
The saying “little children, little problems, big children, big problems,” is particularly appropriate for parents of special needs children. Preparing for the next phase takes time, so it’s best to begin the process, once they celebrate their 17th birthday. One of the many decisions that parents need to make before…
A survey found that Gen Xers are less concerned about retirement planning than they are about other financial challenges. Don’t forget that group that’s between the headline grabbing millennials and boomers: Generation Xers, Americans between ages 36-55. A survey from the IRA (Insured Retirement Institute) appears to have uncovered a…
Remember to update your estate plan, especially if your life includes events like new kids, a new marriage or the death of a loved one. If you love your family, you’ll keep them in mind when considering whether to make an appointment to update your estate, as you go through…