Estate planning, elder law, family transitions, business planning – the legal issues that affect your family are always evolving. Jennifer writes regularly to keep you informed, educated, and empowered. Browse the latest articles below, or search by topic to find what you’re looking for.
The world of estate planning can be complex. If you have just started your research or are in the process of setting up your estate plan, you’ve likely encountered discussions of wills and trusts. While most people have a very basic understanding of a last will and testament, trusts are often foreign concepts. Two of the most common types of trusts used in...
Today, blended families have become increasingly common, and many individuals have stepchildren. In situations where stepchildren have not been legally adopted, however, they do not have a legal right to an inheritance from a stepparent. For those who wish to leave stepchildren part of their estate, it is necessary to include them in an estate plan. There...
Many individuals are aware that a Will is one way to plan for the distribution of their assets after death. However, a comprehensive estate plan also considers other objectives such as asset protection. For this reason, it is essential to consider utilizing an Irrevocable Trust. This estate planning tool becomes effective during a person's lifetime, but it...
Life insurance can be an integral part of an estate plan. Policies can be set up to be paid directly to the beneficiary, without the need to pass through the estate. Having a life insurance policy ensures that some assets will be liquid, so that debts and expenses can be paid quickly and easily without the need to dispose of assets. Beneficiaries can be...
For many people, retirement savings accounts are among the largest assets they have to bequeath to their children and grandchildren in their estate plans. Sadly, without professional and personally tailored advice about how best to include IRAs in one’s estate plan, there may be a failure to take advantage of techniques that will maximize the amount of...
Properly drafted estate planning documents are integral to the success of your legacy and end-of-life wishes. Iron-clad estate planning documents, written by a knowledgeable attorney can make the difference between the success and failure of having your wishes carried out. However, there’s more to estate planning than paperwork. For your wishes to have the...
When creating a living trust, it is common practice that the person doing the estate planning will name themselves as trustee and will appoint a successor trustee to handle matters once they pass on or become incapacitated. If you have been named successor trustee for a person that has died, it is important that you hire an estate planning attorney to...
A Revocable Living Trust is a common estate planning tool that has many benefits. As a revocable trust, the person creating the trust, the grantor, retains the ability to change or rescind the document at any point. The document is called a “living” trust because it is applicable throughout one's lifetime. If an individual wants to maintain full control...
Becoming a new parent is a life changing experience, and caring for a child is an awesome responsibility as well as an amazing joy. Among the many things for new parents to do to provide for their children is to complete their own estate plan. This is the time to think about your child's future by asking an important question: who will care for your child...
Many people give to charity during their lives, but unfortunately too few Americans take advantage of the benefits of incorporating charitable giving into their estate plans. By planning ahead, you can save on income and estate taxes, provide a meaningful contribution to the charity of your choice, and even guarantee a steady stream of income throughout...
Special needs trusts allow individuals with disabilities to qualify for need-based government assistance while maintaining access to additional assets which can be used to pay for expenses not covered by such government benefits. If the trust is set up correctly, the beneficiary will not risk losing eligibility for government benefits such as Medicaid or...
You are purchasing a home, and the escrow officer asks, “How do you want to hold title to the property?” In the context of your overall home purchase, this may seem like a small, inconsequential detail; however nothing could be further from the truth. A property can be owned by the same people, yet the manner in which title is held can drastically affect...