When people think of lawyers they usually think of the fast-paced lives of the characters in John Grisham’s legal dramas, or maybe the dramatic and exciting courtroom scenes from the movie A Few Good Men. But Estate Planning Law has never been like that. Estate Planning has always been a calm and sedate area of… Read More »
Blog Posts Page 53
Make the Most of IRA Distributions—Carefully
When we talk to clients about “the estate” they will pass on to their heirs, that estate includes a number of components: home, life insurance, bank accounts, investment accounts, secondary properties, and IRAs or other retirement assets. Many people consider their IRA the least of the assets in their estate, because they intend to spend… Read More »
Choosing A Fiduciary: Some Special Thoughts
Choosing your fiduciaries can be one of the most difficult parts of creating your estate plan, especially choosing trustees for your trust, which, depending on the circumstances, you may hope will be in existence for quite a long time. Most people’s first instinct is to choose a family member, someone they know and trust, perhaps… Read More »
Time and Tide Wait for No Man, It’s Time to Update Your Estate Plan
If you are one of the thoughtful people who already have an estate plan you may be looking at the news stories about President Obama and his changes to the estate tax and wondering if it will affect your plan. “How long ago did I create my plan?” is the inevitable question we ask ourselves,… Read More »
Young or Old—Love is in the Air, part 2
When elderly parents fall in love it affects more than just the lovers, it has an impact on their concerned children as well. This is especially true when the lovebirds want to make significant changes in their lives; things such as getting married or moving in with each other. In Monday’s post we shared a… Read More »
Providing for the Special Heroes in Your Life
As an estate planning law firm we often have to take on the role of encouraging our clients to think and talk about difficult and sometimes sad issues. Sometimes, however, we have the joy of sharing something truly heartwarming. This video about autistic high school basketball player Jason McElwain is one of those things. Check… Read More »
Bereaved Relatives Beware!
As if dealing with the emotional pain after the death of a loved was isn’t enough, bereaved relatives now have one more thing to be aware of after a family member has passed away: incorrigible debt collectors looking for someone—anyone!—to pay off the debts of the deceased, even if you have no obligation to do… Read More »
President Obama’s Tax Proposals Bring Mixed Reactions
Change in Washington D.C. means change will eventually trickle down to all of us, especially when that change has to do with taxes. In preparation for that change, Dean Zerbe of Forbes.com has provided us with a review of President Obama’s tax proposals. According to Zerbe, Obama’s proposals contain (as Clint Eastwood would say) the… Read More »
Do You Have Confidence in Your Estate Planning Attorney?
If you’ve been wondering whether it’s worth the time and money to have a lawyer help you with your estate plan, the New York Times is here with an answer, and everything you need to know is right there in the title of the article: Good Advice Makes All the Difference in Estate Planning. Learning… Read More »
Don’t Be Shy About Your Health Care Decisions
How do you want to die? Do you want lifesaving treatments to be administered even if all brain activity has ceased? Is your family aware of your wishes? And perhaps the more important question, according to the NY Times, is your Doctor aware of your wishes? Included in the complete estate plan our firm provides… Read More »