Coping with the death of a loved one and the formal probate proceeding can be daunting. If the decedent's assets are not already transferring outside of probate, for example by jointly owned property, trust property, or property determined by beneficiary designation,...
When people generally talk about education trusts, they mean that the money can be used to pay for tuition and related costs at a college or a university. It is important to note that, while this is how it often works, the trust does not have to be so limited. It can...
Estate planning does not always have to mean putting money in a trust or writing out your assets in a will to give them away after you die. You may want to gift money to your heirs before you pass away.For one thing, this can help to reduce the tax burden on the...
Dear Clients and Prospective Clients,Although our physical office is temporarily closed, our virtual office is up and running! If you have been thinking about starting or changing your trust or will, now is the time to do so. The entire process can be completed from...
Estate planning is always wise, and life is unpredictable. About 40,000 people die in car accidents every year, and none of them anticipated that happening at the beginning of the year. The goal of estate planning should always be to get it done in advance so that the...
With the recent updates and news about Covid-19 (the coronavirus), we want to share the measures that our office to taking to ensure the safety and well-being of all our clients, potential clients, and visitors. The first line of defense starts with you, our valued...
Many people put off writing a will. Say you do so for a few decades, thinking you still have time to get your estate plan together. Then, just before you actually get that plan down on paper, you pass away unexpectedly from a heart attack or in a car accident.Life is...
There are many different types of businesses in the United States, and small businesses -- the most common type -- tend to fall into one of three broad categories. These are owner-dependent, multigenerational or marketable. Let's take a moment to consider the first...
Estate planning is very important, as mistakes can have a negative impact on your family. Unfortunately, people still make some avoidable mistakes, often because they simply don't realize it at the time. To help you avoid this potential pitfall, let's look at one of...
When you create a trust, it is important to think about the unexpected -- about the things that may happen that you cannot predict. You do not want to accidentally keep money from your heirs when you would have preferred to pass it on to them. You can't change the...