People like stories, and I have gathered a few in the years I have practiced law. During the time I have been representing people doing estate planning and handling estates, I have seen many things, both good and bad, that are examples of what to do and what not to do. Most of the bad stories involve not…
“Avoiding probate” is a buzz word that is often used and sometimes confused. Many people don’t understand the probate process, even by people who are quite sure it should be avoided. For instance, Wills do not “avoid probate”, and probate does not subject an estate to taxation, though both things are often believed to be true.…
I do a lot of estate planning for spouses, and one topic comes up over and over again. When I have clients who want to make life easier for their loved ones and avoid probate, the best way to do that is to use living trusts. The question, then becomes, should they have one, joint…
One thing that requires close attention when doing estate planning, but little attention is paid to it, is the way we hold title to our assets. How we own our assets is a key component to estate planning that is often overlooked. Attention to property ownership detail can make the difference between estate planning success or failure. For…
There are many reasons why people do not do Wills, and not many of those reasons are very good. Many of us simply avoid thinking about it, and then we do we tell ourselves there will be time to do one later. Maybe when I have more assets I will do a will is another…
To many it seems that estate planning is like a mysterious woodland creature. Sightings are reported, but descriptions of the animal do not all match, and an accurate picture of the real thing remains illusive. Dispelling the myths is a good start in gaining an accurate understanding of estate planning (the elusive creature). Once you begin to have…