Estate Planning

One of the most important steps when creating a trust is properly funding it. People often transfer some of their most valuable resources into a trust. They may do so as they prepare for retirement or even earlier in life to protect their assets from lawsuits and...

If you and your spouse have been married for decades, your assets are likely largely or entirely combined. Your estate planning needs may seem simple. You just want whomever outlives the other to have all of your assets. When you’re both gone, you want your adult...

Those who have strong religious beliefs often like to integrate their faith into many aspects of their life. For example, those who regularly attend church services often tithe or make contributions to their congregation and volunteer for various faith-related causes....

Ask any parent with more than one child and they’ll probably tell you that “fair” and “equal” are far from the same thing. One child’s needs don’t necessarily match the needs of the other child. That’s a hard reality to navigate when the kids are young – but what do...

Most of us spend weeks (or months) planning for milestone life events like our wedding, a major anniversary or a holiday party. But the one event we're all guaranteed to experience -- our funeral -- often goes unplanned until after we pass away. You might not have...

You may never have really thought about estate planning before in your life. You know that you will need to make a plan at some point, but it’s something you figure you can address later on. It feels like it’s much too early in life to consider taking these steps....

Your legacy when you die may involve many different considerations. Some people want to support their children and grandchildren, while others want to give money to charitable organizations. Maybe you don't have many financial resources to pass on to others, or...

The details of an estate plan should be a reflection of someone's unique circumstances. No two people will need the exact same solutions when planning to protect themselves as they age and establish their legacy when they die. For some people, a simple will is all...

When you’re building an estate plan, one of the things your attorney will speak with you about is a health care directive. A health care directive is an important legal document that may have an impact on you during your life. It is designed to protect you if you...

One reason for a will contest is known as undue influence. Like other issues, such as fraud, the argument being made by those alleging undue influence is that the will is no longer an accurate representation of what the person wanted when they made it.   Unlike fraud,...