Many people believe that once they set up a revocable living trust and change the ownership of their accounts and property from themselves as individuals to their trust, those accounts and property are protected from lawsuits. This is not true. While… Read More

Approximately three-fourths of Americans do not have a basic will.[1] Many of the same people also have minor children, which underscores a major misunderstanding about estate plans: they can accomplish much more than just handling financial assets (… Read More

Trusts are widely used in estate planning to protect and transfer a person’s assets (money, accounts, property, etc.), sometimes in a tax-advantaged manner. Some trusts are highly complex, with multiple parties, intricate structures, specialized le… Read More

When beginning any type of planning, you usually start with some preliminary questions. Estate planning is no different. When you begin the process, your estate planning attorney will likely ask about your family members, the accounts and property yo… Read More

Getting married is a special time in your life; you may have a beautiful wedding, a fun reception (with a delicious cake and special gifts), and a romantic honeymoon. It is also the right time for you and your new spouse to plan for your future—for… Read More

If you recently married or have been married for a while and have acquired additional money or property (or plan to), you have options regarding how your assets can be owned. Although joint ownership seems easy and convenient, particularly when that… Read More

Now, when you are newly married, is the perfect time to start working on an estate plan. As newlyweds or those about to marry, you are likely in the process of deciding which of your accounts and property (your assets) to combine and how to turn two… Read More

Once you have been appointed the executor or personal representative of a deceased loved one’s probate estate, or when you step in as the successor trustee of the loved one’s trust, one of the things you should do early in the process is to notif… Read More