MEREDITH | PC

  Five words no one ever wants to hear from their doctor are “Get your affairs in order.” Unfortunately, 76 percent of Americans do not have a will, and it often requires a chronic disease, terminal illness diagnosis, or other life-changing event to prompt people to start the estate planning process.[1] If you are facing a serious medical […]

Receiving news that you need major surgery is never easy. Preparing for work absences, planning for childcare and household responsibilities, and understanding the procedure itself and your recovery timeline may be among the things you are worried about. If you have only a short time (weeks or days) to react, focusing on the essentials is key. Reviewing your […]

  We all have different ways of giving and receiving love, and those preferences can reveal a great deal about us. You may be the type who expresses love with words, telling people you care about them or crafting carefully worded messages for someone when they need encouragement. Or maybe you prefer physical affection such as hugging and […]

Personal items accumulated over our lifetimes may be left in estate planning limbo when we pass away. You may have kept many personal effects and everyday items more for sentimental reasons than for financial value, such as your clothing, jewelry, books, quilts, collectibles, and religious items. Each item we leave behind tells part of the story of who […]

  Beyond the practical purpose of transferring assets and reducing taxes, an estate plan reflects love, responsibility, and values. That emotional heaviness may be part of why many families avoid the subject. Pew Research reports that only about 3 in 10 US adults have created a basic estate plan (a will and a living will or advance directive), […]

One goal of estate planning is to ensure that your assets, including your home, pass to your chosen beneficiaries quickly and with minimal expense. In real estate, a common strategy to avoid probate (the court process of validating a will and distributing assets) is to add others to the title. This strategy involves adding the names of your […]

  Retirement can mean many different things to different people. For some, it opens up a new world of travel, experiences, and creative pursuits. For others, it may herald quiet days at home with a good book, a steaming mug of tea or coffee, and no other plans for weeks. Between those extremes are countless ways to spend […]

  Your parent has made the difficult decision to omit your brother or sister from their estate plan. While this decision will undoubtedly land heavily on your sibling, the decision also places you in a complicated position. As the child who was not cut out of the estate plan, you may find yourself in an especially delicate spot, […]

You have decided to meet with an estate planning attorney to get your affairs in order and ensure that your loved ones are protected. Now that you have scheduled the appointment, it is time to get yourself organized and prepare for the first meeting. Before You Meet with Your Attorney Taking the time to sort through your important […]

  If you are expecting an inheritance, an estate planning tool known as a trust may prove useful, depending on your circumstances. Among the numerous types of trusts aimed at fulfilling different estate planning purposes, an inheritor’s trust is specially designed to help protect an inheritance. Purpose of an Inheritor’s Trust A future beneficiary establishes an inheritor’s trust […]