With about half of all marriages ending in divorce, second marriages and blended families have become the new normal in many communities. Estate planning for a blended family requires three-dimensional thinking for all concerned. An article from The University Herald, “The Challenges and Complexities of Estate Planning for Blended Families,…
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…
Here’s a legacy that you may not want to leave for your family to pay: your credit card debt. It doesn’t go away when you die. Three out of four consumers die in debt, says Yahoo Finance’s recent article, “What Happens to Credit Card Debt When You Die?” That means…
One of the reasons for a pre-nuptial agreement, is to clarify who owns what in the marriage, and what happens to property if the marriage should dissolve. In a community property state, everything is “ours.” If you live in a community property state, like Texas, and you are married, both…
Estate planning is not as much fun as vacation planning, but it is something you do for your loved ones to save them a lot of stress. It can also provide a surprising sense of relief to have this task completed. It’s hard for anyone to consider their own mortality.…
A will serves several purposes. It gives you the power to distribute your possessions, according to your own wishes. It also lets you name who should take care of your children, if they are minors when you die, and of your pets, if you provide for them in the will.…
When you die, the assets you’ve accumulated during your lifetime have to be distributed. If you don’t make a plan, your family may be left to clean up a legal mess, quarrel amongst themselves, or watch as a long-lost family member is given everything by a court decision. An estate…
The progressive nature of dementia makes advance directives necessary to manage the health care needs of the patient. When adult children suspect that one or both of their parents may be suffering from the early symptoms of dementia, it’s a good idea to sit down with an experienced elder care…
The fight over Conrad Prebys’ $1 billion estate continues, three years after the San Diego developer and philanthropist died. When the directors of the Conrad Prebys Foundation decided to give his son Eric $15 million, despite the fact that his father had left him out of the will, Preby’s longtime…
This bizarre story of an estate battle concerns a man who wanted to be driven to local pubs, a taxi driver and the passenger’s significant other. A legal bill for an unusual estate battle must be now paid by a cabbie who had inherited a regular fare’s entire estate. The…