For the last several decades, you’ve always made these kinds of decisions together. What can already be an emotional task of drafting a will is even more so after the loss of a lifelong partner. Even in the event of a terminal illness diagnosis with time to prepare in advance,…
In some parts of the U.S., like West Virginia, without a will, your estate is first distributed according to your marital status and children, including those of previous marriages. However, if you have no spouse or children, you may want to pull out your family tree to see who could…
Portland attorney Victoria Blachly said people can avoid the personal, financial and in some cases legal headaches that come with losing access to their online accounts by creating a Virtual Asset Instruction Letter where they list their online accounts, the passwords they use to access each one, and instructions explaining…
Fran had just learned that her deceased husband Ed’s life insurance proceeds were going to be paid to his ex-wife Sally. As Fran found out from her lawyer, beneficiary designations can be the trump card of estate planning. You heard that right. The ex-wife Sally will get the life insurance…
At some point, everyone needs to consider estate planning. It’s time to create an up-to-date estate plan when you experience one of these life events. Think estate planning isn’t for you? Think again! And it’s not just a one-time deal; changes in your life should result in changes to your…
Don’t wait until the very last minute to make sure you are prepared, says Michael H. Milarski, a partner and senior financial advisor with Signature Financial Planning. Have you checked your list and you’re sure you’re ready to retire? You may have a few items to address before your golden…
So how do you know if your estate plan is out-of-date? If your will or trust predates these four key “freshness dates,” it may be time to visit your attorney for a review. Estate plans are not meant to be a one-time deal. If life changes – or the law…
Actually the trusts are Crummey trusts named after one D. Clifford Crummey who won a decision in the Ninth Circuit in 1968, when I was just a high school lad. Israel and Erna Mikel were just in Tax Court showing how powerful the Crummey power can be as they used…
“We are delighted to inform the public that the court has appointed Bobby Brown and Pat Houston as co-guardians of Bobbi Kristina Brown (‘Krissi’),” read a statement issued by David Long-Daniels, counsel for Pat Houston and Cissy Houston, and Christopher Brown, an attorney for Bobby Brown. “Both Mr. Brown and…
There are several corners of your financial life that can be simplified through consolidation. If you feel like your finances are all over the place and hard to manage, you just need to take a moment to de-clutter and get a system going. Also, it’s ok to ask for help!…