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Contract Mistakes
Contract Mistakes Contract Mistakes. No Written Agreement.Probably the number one contract mistake people make is not having written agreements with everyone they do business with. I am always amazed by the reasons they give. Yet, regardless of how confident they...
31 Days of Estate Planning
Estate Planning Blogs Estate Planning Blogs. Have you ever wished there was one location to find basic information about estate planning? One location where you could get some definitions for concepts e.g., what is a trust? What is a Trustee? What goes into an estate...
Trust Mill Scams
Do You Really Want to Work? Five years ago, people complained they couldn’t find work. Today, there are so many jobs available, and no one wants to work. Instead, robbers, burglars, drug dealers, and scammers pervade the landscape. Scamming has become the new normal....
Probate Process — Basic Steps
Probate Process Probate process basic steps. When someone passes away, their estate is generally required to go through probate unless there was a valid trust in place. It is a lengthy and often expensive process. Expensive not just in terms of the financial cost, but...
A Few Reasons Why Asset Protection is Important
Asset Protection is Important. Why is asset protection important? First, to protect your assets, so they get into the hands of your intended beneficiaries, and to protect the most vulnerable of your beneficiaries from themselves. Who Should Get Your Insurance...
Life Insurance and Your Estate Plan
Reasons for having an insurance policy. Do you have life insurance? If not, have you considered purchasing some? Life insurance is one of the most important components of an estate plan. There are a number of reasons why you might consider incorporating life insurance...
Funding the Trust with Out-of-State Property
Funding the trust with out-of-state property. Imagine your primary residence is in the state of California. But you also have a second home in Idaho and a piece of unimproved land in Nevada. Your California lawyer created a trust-based estate plan and funded your...
Estate Planning for Artists
Estate planning for artists. Do any of the following apply to you? Do you create art as a hobby? While you might not be making money from your art, your work might nonetheless have value either later in your life or after you die. For that reason, it’s important that...
Trustee Powers
What Powers Should I Give to My Trustee? Trustee powers. What Powers Should I Give to My Trustee? A grantor can grant to her trustee any number of powers. She can expand, limit, or restrict the powers that her trustee may exercise. Here are just a few of the many...
Estate Planning Myths
Estate Planning Myths are a cause for trouble. Myths are widely held but false beliefs. People talk themselves out of creating an estate plan for many reasons. Considering the overall benefits, I ask, are those reasons valid? Perhaps, but perhaps not. Buying into...
What is a Pet Trust?
Why a Pet Trust? Why a Pet trust? When most people think of creating an estate plan, the conversation focuses on the spouse, the children, and in some cases the grandkids. Unless encouraged to do so, rarely is the protection of ones “furry children,” considered. Yet,...
Cryptocurrency and Your Estate Plan
Do you own Cryptocurrency? Crypto and Estate Plan. Do you own cryptocurrency? If so, you may be wondering with all of the controversy if it is still a good investment. The answer is probably, but no one knows for sure. Some experts say the long-term cryptocurrency...
Estate Planning for Future Generations
Studies estimate that 70 percent of family wealth is lost by the end of the second generation and 90 percent by the end of the third generation. To assist your loved ones in not becoming part of this statistic, you need to first educate them. Then, your job is to...
Can I Modify, Amend, or Revoke My Trust?
What does it mean to modify, amend, or revoke a trust? To revoke means to annul by recalling or taking back something. To modify means to make changes to something in an effort to improve it. To amend a document is to make minor changes to make...
Can I Disinherit My Kids?
Can I disinherit my kids? Maybe. According to Tinsel Town, a parent can always disinherit their kids. But not so in the real world. In most instances, you can. However, that also depends on the state and the facts of your particular situation. Generally, the law...
What if I Cannot Find the Will?
A common occurrence after someone dies is that the estate documents can’t be found. Maybe it’s because they were lost, mistakenly destroyed, intentionally revoked, or hidden. Regardless, when someone passes away, and their will and trust cannot be secured, there is a...
How to Choose a Trustee
To be valid and enforceable, a trust must be funded with assets of value, and it must have a purpose. In addition, it must have a trustee. The person who legally holds the assets. When you establish your trust, you are required to nominate your trustee. While not...
How to Prepare for the Meeting with Your Lawyer
A common question often asked by people who want to hire an estate planning lawyer is, “How do I prepare for the first meeting?” Is the meeting in person? Is it virtual? Is it by phone? If it’s by phone, does the lawyer call me, or should I call them? What should I...
How Much Does an Estate Plan Cost?
How much does an Estate Plan cost? This is a question many ask, even before they know what an estate plan is and what it involves. While I understand the reason behind leading with that question, no competent lawyer will answer it until they know what you want and...
How to Choose a Lawyer
How to Choose a Lawyer? Choosing an estate planning lawyer to work with is a personal experience. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve hired them for a business issue, a family law matter, a personal injury concern, or an employment-related question; great care should be...
What is a Deed
What is a Deed and Why is it Important It is a legal instrument that transfers real property from one person or entity to another. The person who transfers the property is the grantor. The recipient of the real property is the grantee. Sometimes, the property is...
What is a Power of Attorney?
A power of attorney for finance is essential to a comprehensive estate plan. So, what is it, and why is it important? As with the agent for healthcare, the trustee, and the executor, the agent under a power of attorney acts as a fiduciary. This is someone authorized...
What is a HIPAA Authorization?
In 1996, the United States Congress enacted the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Its purpose was to provide guidelines for protecting patient information and privacy. HIPAA provides healthcare professionals with consistent and...
What is a Healthcare Directive?
In 2020 when it appeared that the pandemic was ramping up, instead of dying out, many Americans got wise to the need for a Healthcare Directive. With so many dying from the coronavirus, it became apparent that preparing for death or incapacity was not just a concern...
What is a Trust?
It is a fiduciary relationship in which the grantor (sometimes called settlor, trustor, or trust maker) gives another party, known as the trustee, the right to hold title to property or assets for the benefit of a third party (the beneficiary). To be valid and...
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