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Should I Write My Will During the Pandemic?

If the coronavirus has taught us anything, it’s that writing a will may be as important as hand washing and using hand sanitizer.

Posted on: July 24, 2020

How Does Social Security Benefits Work in My Estate Planning?

Social Security benefits are one of the items that fall through the cracks in many estate plans.

Posted on: July 23, 2020

Your Estate Plan Needs to Be Customized

Estate planning documents often are treated like the photocopied permission slip for a child’s field trip. You fill in your name, include the children’s names and dates of birth and sign. The document is filed away to be used if needed, but you really never expect it to be used.

Posted on: July 22, 2020

Possible Pitfalls for Special Needs Planning for Parents

Both the state and federal government, administered through the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Medicaid provide disabled individuals with a variety of life enhancing, and sometimes life sustaining, public benefits.

Posted on: July 21, 2020

How Is the Inheritance Tax on My Estate Paid?

Most of my money is in investments, and most of my beneficiaries will face the inheritance tax when I die.

Posted on: July 20, 2020

Elder Financial Abuse Risk Increasing for Seniors Isolated by Pandemic

Each year, senior citizens lose billions of dollars to financial fraud, with the loss to individual victims averaging tens of thousands of dollars.

Posted on: July 17, 2020

What Must Be Done when a Loved One Dies?

It can be hard to move through your daily life after someone you love dies. It may be even harder to embark on the complex tasks required to put their financial affairs in order. However, you can't afford to put that off.

Posted on: July 16, 2020

What Can a Strong Estate Planning Attorney Help Me Accomplish?

Too many people mistakenly believe that to have a need for estate planning, you must be old and wealthy. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Once you are a mature adult, independent, and income-producing, it is time to assume the responsibilities of preparing for your future. High on the list is preparing an estate plan with a clear understanding that your plan will be revised to adapt to changing circumstances.

Posted on: July 15, 2020

How Do the Children Divide Up Mom’s Tangible Property?

One of the biggest challenges for anyone administering an estate is how to distribute what are called its tangible items. Unlike other property which can be easily sold, turned into cash and divided equally, tangible property is unique and often can't be equally split. Its value also often can't be measured by what it could be sold for. A family photo album may have no monetary value, for instance, but great sentimental significance.

Posted on: July 14, 2020

Still Procrastinating about Your Estate Plan?

Without an estate plan in place, clients will be reliant on state laws and probate courts to appoint individuals who will be responsible for financial affairs and health-care decisions, in the case of illness and ultimately the transfer of assets upon death.

Posted on: July 13, 2020