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special needs trust on clipboard

Who Should Be the Trustee of a Third-Party Special Needs Trust (SNT)?

Family members with special needs may require assistance throughout their lives. If you want to ensure that a loved one with a disability is taken care of after you are gone, you can help manage resources for them by using a third-party special needs… Read More
Image shows an advanced directive, stethoscope, magnifier and a scalpel

What to Do When Incapacity Throws Your Estate Plan into Chaos

As poet Robert Burns mused centuries ago, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Despite thoughtful effort and a concerted strategy, you cannot prepare for every emergency in life. A car accident, sudden illness, workplace injury, or chro… Read More
Power of Attorney, Living Will, and Health Care Power of Attorney documents on a desk

Five Essential Legal Documents You Need for Incapacity Planning

Comprehensive estate planning involves more than just planning for your legacy after your death, avoiding probate, and reducing taxes. Good estate planning also addresses incapacity and appoints people to make legal, financial, and medical decisions… Read More
wooden judge and movie sign on the desk background demonstrating will administration in movies

Will and Estate Administration Details that TV and Movies Get Wrong

While television and movies provide great entertainment, they are not always factual. Even shows based on real events are not entirely accurate. Creators of television programs and movies will often alter details of a story or situation to provide an… Read More
silhouettes of trustees standing on floating puzzle pieces

Beware of Nonlawyers Acting Like Lawyers

When people think about creating an estate plan, they may think it just involves getting a set of forms that convey their wishes regarding their finances, health, and what will happen to their stuff when they die. Although the documents that comprise… Read More
Estate Planning Word Cloud

What Is the Difference Between a Probate and Trust Administration Attorney and an Estate Planning Attorney?

Estate planning attorneys and probate and trust administration attorneys play crucial but distinct roles in the legal processes involving legacy planning, asset distribution, and wealth preservation. Estate planning attorneys focus on creating a plan… Read More
gavel with scale and books in the background

Collecting A Debt on Behalf of Your Deceased Loved One

People often engage in transactions that result in money being owed to them, such as loaning money to a friend or business partner or renting a house to a tenant. But what happens if someone passes away before they receive payback of that debt, the m… Read More
Woman Legs In Different Shoes

Three Important Concerns Self-Employed Individuals Should Address

Being self-employed is no easy task. You are the owner, and in some cases, the only employee. While you may have more freedom than the average worker, a lot of responsibilities lie on your shoulders. Working together, we can craft a comprehensive est… Read More
digital estate plan

What Happens to Your Venmo, PayPal, and Apple Pay Accounts at Your Death?

It has been said that nothing ever dies on the Internet. While this dictum is typically used as a warning that what we put online may come back to haunt us, it is also true that our online accounts can outlive us, and even live in perpetuity. Having… Read More
Not the lottery, but Jana won at Bingo this summer. Jana with cash fanned out with winning bingo card and captain hat.

Four Important Considerations If You Win the Lottery

On February 14, 2023, California state lottery officials named the winner of the largest lottery prize in United States history: Edwin Castro won an eye-popping $2.04 billion in a November 2022 lottery drawing, choosing a lump sum payment of $997.6 m… Read More