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 »
Posts Categorized: Estate Planning
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 »
Sibling Rivalry Goes Too Far
A disturbing case is underway set in Arizona, where a group of siblings are having a court battle over their mother’s estate… while she’s still alive! Family members fighting over inheritance is a sad situation, but not unusual. In fact, it probably happens more often than you think; which is why our firm works hard… Read More »
Thoughts About President Lincoln from an Estate Planning Perspective
When President Abraham Lincoln passed away on April 15, 1865 he left his family at the mercy of the state laws of inheritance and succession—because he died without a will. It is hard to imagine how Lincoln could have neglected this one thing; after all, he was a statesman and a lawyer. Furthermore, Lincoln is… Read More »
Do-It-Yourself Estate Planning? Don’t!
Is the budget too tight to pay for an expensive estate plan right now? Why not do it yourself? How hard could it be? Actually, it can be very hard—hard on your wallet when it costs you thousands of dollars to fix the mistakes in the plan you made; and especially hard on your heirs… Read More »
Putting off Your Estate Plan is a Grave Mistake
At a time when the economy is slow and money is tight, many people are looking to save money by cutting back on “unessential” expenses—including estate planning. Although this instinct is understandable, the trend is a disturbing one. Our firm understands the need to dig in during tough times, but what you may not realize… Read More »
Growing Children Need an Updated Estate Plan
Every parent knows how miraculously fast children seem to grow and develop. So many parents find themselves marveling that their child’s foot ever fit into that tiny set of infant socks, or wistfully packing up the blocks and books their child has outgrown for electronic games or more mature interests. It is cliché to say… Read More »
Forbes.com: The Girlfriend’s Guide to Estate Planning
Women in the United States have a unique set of estate planning needs, not the least of which has to do with the fact that they outlive their husbands by an average of 7 years, and are more likely than their male counterparts to become the family caregiver. So why is it that so few… Read More »
Memorial Instructions in Literature and in Life
“The Geat people built a pyre for Beowulf, stacked and decked it until it stood four-square, hung with helmets, heavy war-shields and shining armour, just as he had ordered. Then his warriors laid him in the middle of it, mourning a lord far-famed and beloved.” (From Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney) Funerals get great coverage… Read More »