The hard part is done. Your estate plan has been created, all the documents signed and witnessed and notarized. But wait, you’re not quite done yet—especially if your estate plan includes a trust. The task of funding that trust still remains. Without the completion of this crucial step all of your hard work could be… Read More »
Blog Posts Page 33
Estate Planning for Beginners Part 5: Guardians of Minor Children
Quite often, an individual or couple’s decision to finally create an estate plan is motivated by a strong need to ensure that their minor children will be protected and provided for. This kind of planning for young children often begins with choosing the person or couple who will care for and raise the children if… Read More »
Estate Planning for Beginners Part 4: Healthcare Documents
Thus far our “Estate Planning Basics” series has focused primarily on financial documents, but the documents pertaining to your health care are an equally important part of any estate plan. The most important healthcare document in your estate plan will be your healthcare directive. Depending on where you live, this document naming a healthcare agent… Read More »
Estate Planning for Beginners Part 3: Powers of Attorney
Once you are secure in the knowledge that you’ve provided for your family and ensured that your wishes for the distribution of your hard-earned fortune are clear, it’s time to take steps to ensure that YOU will be protected and financially secure during your lifetime. It is not uncommon for seniors to need help with… Read More »
Estate Planning for Beginners Part 2: Trusts
We’ve said it before on our blog and we’ll say it again: It doesn’t matter whether you’re a billionaire business executive or a teacher with a modest salary, it doesn’t matter whether you’re the patriarch of a large family or a stay-at-home mom of a newborn, a revocable living trust may be exactly what your… Read More »
Estate Planning for Beginners Part 1: Wills
Every new project has to begin somewhere, and most newcomers to estate planning choose to begin with a will. A will is the most well-known of all estate planning documents, it is generally the simplest and easiest to create (although some wills can be very lengthy and complex), and in most states a will can… Read More »
The Importance of Estate Planning for New Parents
News sources such as the Washington Post entertainment section promise that this summer will be flush with celebrity newborns and proud mamas and papas. Some of the stars expecting additions to their families include Natalie Portman, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Connelly and more. Here at our office we wonder how many of these new parents will… Read More »
Even the Most “Normal” Families Can Benefit From Customized Estate Planning
Many people think that estate planning is a piece of cake: choose your beneficiaries, write up a simple will, and voila – you’re done! The truth is that while estate planning can sometimes be achieved with this amount of simplicity, most of the time there’s more to it than that—a lot more—especially if you have any… Read More »
What to Do When Dad’s Ability To Manage His Finances Begins To Slow Down
One of the most difficult aspects of caring for an elderly parent (or helping an aging parent who lives far away) is keeping one step ahead when that parent begins to lose the ability to manage his or her own finances. Many seniors can be very resistant to discussing what they feel is an extremely… Read More »
Simple Steps Now Can Help Your Executor Later On
Being named as the executor of the estate of a deceased loved one comes with many challenges, including dealing with the probate system. But one of the most difficult (and least discussed) challenges is sorting through the plethora of paper and information that people collect over the course of a lifetime. You can save your… Read More »