…As with hard drives, our limited shelf life requires that we make the most of each day while also planning for a peaceful transition. Having loved ones struggle with managing unorganized financial affairs with no assistance only prolongs grief and blemishes fond memories. Why do most of us give more…
Did you think estate planning would be easier because you don’t have children … or that you don’t really need an estate plan? If so, you couldn’t be more wrong! The website dailycall.com recently posted an article, titled "Aging and estate planning for singles and couples without children," to help…
If Lou Reed had used a revocable living trust, and transferred his assets into the trust during his life, then all of this information would have been kept private. No one would know how much he had, whom he left it to, or how much his executors were charging. When…
Carl J Drake spent his life studying bugs, everything from aphids to water striders. When he died in 1965, the entomologist left his life savings and his vast insect collection to the Smithsonian. But now Drake's will has become something of a pest. The case of the Smithsonian Museum and…
The vast majority of estate planning lawyers get requests for trusts that "motivate responsible behavior by the next generation," said Los Angeles lawyer Jon Gallo, who presented an overview of the topic at the annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning. If you are leaving behind an inheritance for the good…
Dividing money is easy. But who gets Mom’s tea set? When we hear about heirs fighting over an inheritance, most of us think about money as being the main issue. But money isn't everything! How you split up priceless family artifacts and other physical goods can start or end fights…
A no-contest clause may be a good idea if you have a beneficiary who may be upset by the property distributed to him or her. Consider this common estate plan predicament: you are drafting a will and know that if it is challenged by a spurned heir or for anyone…
The question that many Americans want answered is: is a will or trust best for retirees? There are simple solutions to simple problems, and complex solutions to complex problems. That being said, when it comes to estate planning many Americans ponder the following: "will or trust?" If you have found…
You should prepare a will so your heirs will be taken care of in an organized, legal and efficient manner, according to your wishes. Preparing your will is not exactly a "fun" thing to do, as most people don't want to think about the end of their own lives. Even…
“Money can be divided pretty evenly, but the teacup that grandma always used? Maybe there’s only a $2 value associated with that teacup, but because of the sentimental value and the emotions around it, that causes the controversy.” While it is easier to think about an inheritance as money or…