Despite the fact that it happens to every single one of us and is as every bit as natural as birth, very few among us are properly prepared for death—whether our own death or the death of a loved one.  Yet

With divorce occurring in roughly 50% of all marriages in the U.S. and life expectancy increasing every day, second—and even third—marriages are becoming quite common. And when people get remarried in mid-life and beyond, they often bring children from prior

If you're looking to collect life insurance proceeds as the policy’s beneficiary, the process is fairly simple. However, during the emotional period immediately following a loved one’s death, it can feel as if your entire world is falling apart, so

As we are about to wrap up another Pride Month, the LGBTQ+ community faces an increasingly uncertain legal landscape. In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, ending the recognition of a constitutional right to abortion, many

These days, more and more young people are delaying—if not totally foregoing—a life that involves marriage and parenting. The lack of jobs, crushing student debt, multiple recessions, and the pandemic have pushed many young people into a life path that

If a family member or friend has asked you to serve as trustee for their trust either during their life, or upon their death, it’s a big honor—this means they consider you among the most honest, reliable, and responsible people

When creating an estate plan, people are often most concerned with passing on the “big things” like real estate, bank accounts, and vehicles. Yet these possessions very often aren’t the items that have the most meaning for the loved ones

As we head into summer, many parents will see their children graduate high school and prepare to leave home to attend college or pursue other life goals. This can be an exciting and emotional time, and with so much going

Because estate planning involves actively thinking about and planning for frightening topics like death, old age, and crippling disability, many people put it off or simply ignore it all together until it’s too late. Sadly, this unwillingness to face reality

A will is one of the most basic estate planning tools. While relying solely on a will is rarely a suitable option for most people, just about every estate plan includes this key document in one form or another. A will

The road to retirement is a long one, and as with any journey, it helps to have a few key milestones along the way to help gauge your progress. While your individual retirement plan and goals will be unique to

Because estate planning involves actively thinking about and planning for frightening topics like death, old age, and crippling disability, many people put it off or simply ignore it all together until it’s too late. Sadly, this unwillingness to face reality

If you are a mom or dad with children under the age of 18 at home, your number-one estate planning priority should be selecting and legally documenting both long and short-term guardians for your kids. Guardians are the people legally

Whether it’s to qualify for Medicaid, avoid probate, or reduce your tax burden, transferring ownership of your home to your adult child during your lifetime may seem like a smart move. But in nearly all cases, it’s actually a huge

When it comes to estate planning, most people automatically think about taking legal steps to ensure the right people inherit their stuff when they die. Although that thought is not wrong, it also leaves out a very important piece of

Do a Google search for “digital wills” or “online estate planning,” and you’ll find dozens of different websites offering low-cost, do-it-yourself (DIY) and sometimes even free estate planning documents, such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives. From LegalZoom®

Do a Google search for “digital wills” or “online estate planning,” and you’ll find dozens of different websites offering low-cost, do-it-yourself (DIY) and sometimes even free estate planning documents, such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives. From LegalZoom®

In today’s highly litigious society you are at near-constant risk for costly lawsuits—even if you’ve done nothing wrong. This is especially true if you have substantial wealth, but even those with relatively few assets can find themselves in court facing

Yours, mine, and ours… in today’s modern family, it’s oh so common. The blended family is the product of 2nd (or more) marriages, in which one or more of the parties comes with children from a prior marriage. And then,

Unless you’ve created an estate plan that works to keep your family out of court, when you die (or become incapacitated) many of your assets must go through probate before those assets can be distributed to your heirs. Like most

Unless you’ve created a proper estate plan, when you die many of your assets must first pass through the court process known as probate before those assets can be distributed to your heirs. Like most court proceedings, probate can be

Over just the last two years, we’ve seen historic levels of damage caused by natural disasters in the U.S. From blizzards in Texas and wildfires in California to hurricanes in Louisiana and tornados in the Midwest, few regions of the

Even if the process is amicable, divorce can be one of life's most stressful events. With so many major changes taking place, it’s easy to forget to update your estate plan—or simply put it off until it's too late. After

If you are running a business, it’s easy to give estate planning less priority than your other business matters. After all, if you’re facing challenges meeting next month’s payroll or your goals for growth over the coming quarter, concerns over

Life insurance is a key component of your family’s estate plan, offering those who depend on you for their financial security a safety net in the event of your death. Whether those dependents include your spouse, children, aging parents, business

As we head into the third year of the pandemic, we are coming to terms with just how fragile our lives and health really are. If you haven’t gotten sick yourself, it’s almost certain you know someone who has, and

No matter how well you think you know your loved ones, it’s impossible to predict exactly how they’ll behave when you die or if you become incapacitated. No one wants to believe that their family members would ever end up

A will is one of the most basic Georgia estate planning documents, and everyone should have one to make sure that there is no question about what would happen to your assets and kids if something happens to you.  But

Last week, we shared the first part of our series on the importance of estate planning for those without children. If you haven’t read it yet, you can do so here. Here in part two, we discuss the other risks

On September 13, 2021, Democrats in the House of Representatives released a new $3.5 trillion proposed spending plan that includes a wide array of changes to federal tax laws. Specifically, the Democrats have proposed a number of significant tax increases

If you make a mistake in naming beneficiaries for your life insurance policy, the people you love will end up being hurt.  Insure.com recently provided a list of the 10 life insurance beneficiary mistakes to avoid.  We elaborate on how

It’s a common misconception to think that if you don’t have children, you  don’t need to worry about estate planning. But the fact is, it can be even MORE important to do estate planning if you have no children. Some of

Timeline of Events 2008, Spears enters court-approved conservatorship after several breakdowns and a few rehab visitsBetween 2009-2018 the court repeatedly extended the conservatorship was2019 Jamie (father) requested to have conservatorship extended in more states2019 Jamie (father) steps downApril 2019, Spears completes

Survey Finds Wealthy Parents Fear Inheritances Will Do More Harm Than Good A survey released by Merrill Lynch’s Private Banking and Investment Group -- How Much Should I Give to My Family? -- shows that the #1 concern of wealthy parents

There are a number of essential things a last will and testament can do for you, such as distribute family heirlooms and name a guardian for minor children, but there are some equally important things a will won’t do: Reduce Estate

The concept of conscious uncoupling, or conscious divorce, has been around for decades in the psychotherapy community. However, the actual term “conscious uncoupling” was thrust into the mainstream lexicon in 2014, when Gwyneth Paltrow used it to publicly announce that

#trus Unfortunately, one of the most important things you can do to protect your child is often overlooked:  an estate plan.  Here are five important considerations you need to discuss with your Personal Family Lawyer® when setting up an estate plan

Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman’s will has been filed for probate and provides a cautionary tale when it comes to estate planning mistakes.   Here are four things he could have done to correct them: Create a Revocable Living Trust.  Hoffman was a

 4 Critical Estate Planning Tasks to Complete Before Going on Vacation Going on vacation entails lots of planning: packing luggage, buying plane tickets, making hotel reservations, and confirming rental vehicles. But one thing many people forget to do is plan for

Holiday Bonus + Tax Refund Spending: Where to Put it For Max Return Will you get a holiday bonus from your employer? Or maybe you have a tax refund coming.  If so, do you have any of it left, have you

It seems that we can’t turn on the television or radio without hearing an ad for a “reverse mortgage.” So what is a reverse mortgage exactly, and who can benefit from using one? A reverse mortgage is a type of loan

It’s no misnomer that a position with so much responsibility carries the name “trustee”.  After all, you have been entrusted with a solemn responsibility and you no doubt want to do the best possible job. Here are 10 things to do

A will is one of the most basic estates planning documents, and everyone should have one to make sure that there is no question about what would happen to your assets and kids if something happens to you. But

A will is one of the most basic estates planning documents, and everyone should have one to make sure that there is no question about what would happen to your assets and kids if something happens to you. But

A will is one of the most basic estates planning documents, and everyone should have one to make sure that there is no question about what would happen to your assets and kids if something happens to you. But

A will is one of the most basic estates planning documents, and everyone should have one to make sure that there is no question about what would happen to your assets and kids if something happens to you. But

A will is one of the most basic estates planning documents, and everyone should have one to make sure that there is no question about what would happen to your assets and kids if something happens to you. But

A will is one of the most basic estates planning documents, and everyone should have one to make sure that there is no question about what would happen to your assets and kids if something happens to you. But

A will is one of the most basic estates planning documents, and everyone should have one to make sure that there is no question about what would happen to your assets and kids if something happens to you. But

A will is one of the most basic estates planning documents, and everyone should have one to make sure that there is no question about what would happen to your assets and kids if something happens to you. But

A will is one of the most basic estates planning documents, and everyone should have one to make sure that there is no question about what would happen to your assets and kids if something happens to you. But

A will is one of the most basic estates planning documents, and everyone should have one to make sure that there is no question about what would happen to your assets and kids if something happens to you. But

Retirement decision-making for boomers is very different than it was for our parents, when it was usually just one spouse (Dad) who retired, with Mom sometimes reminding him that, “I married you for better or worse, but not for lunch!” Now

Unfortunately, money has a habit of bringing out the worst in people, even in the best of families. One of the most important reasons to get your [city/state] estate plan handled is to keep your family out of conflict. And,