Category: Estate Planning

February has been celebrated as American Heart Month since 1963 in an effort to urge Americans to join the fight against heart disease, which is the leading cause of death for both men and women. It is also a great opportunity to consider who is the best person to act as your medical agent if you are stricken […]

One of the main reasons for getting an annual physical is to detect and treat problems before an illness or health condition becomes serious. Likewise, it is important for your estate plan to get a regular check up to address changes in your life circumstances or in the law to ensure that optimal plans are in place to […]

Your money, home, and vehicles are not the only things you should include in your estate plan. Your intellectual property and any income it generates should also be addressed. You do not have to be a famous author, painter, or inventor to have valuable intellectual property that could provide a stream of income for your family members or […]

Estate planning for couples in a second or subsequent marriage can be tricky, especially if their estates are disproportionate. One solution for allowing the well-to-do spouse to maintain control of their property and wealth–but keep their other spouse happy–is the “Lifetime QTIP Trust.” The Basics of Creating a Lifetime QTIP Trust In the estate planning world a “QTIP […]

Surprising to most people, the federal estate tax is a voluntary tax. Estate planning attorneys used to say, “You only pay if you don’t plan.” Now, portability of the federal estate tax exclusion provides both an alternative and a back up plan to lifetime tax planning. This means you might be able to minimize or even eliminate federal […]

You and your spouse live together, you work together, and chances are you spend a lot of your free time together. Having a successful marriage and business takes a lot of hard work and dedication but can also be among the most rewarding things in life. To help keep you on the right track, here are a few […]

You have searched for and found the love of your life, maybe your first love, or maybe after a previous marriage. As you have built your life together, you have probably weathered your fair share of storms and grown stronger because of them. To prepare for the future and the possibility of no longer being around for your […]

You have recently divorced your spouse and the judge has signed the divorce decree. Now what? Although you may feel as though you have spent enough time and money on lawyers, there is one last attorney you need to talk to: an estate planning attorney. If you and your former spouse had estate planning done together previously, it […]

Believe it or not, in the U.S. it isn’t easy to disinherit your spouse. But the same is not true for other family members – generally, you can use your estate plan to disinherit your brothers and sisters, your nieces and nephews, or even your very own children and grandchildren. However, in the majority of states and the […]

Welcome to 2020! A new year is a time for optimism and new opportunities. It is a time to start fresh and make sure you are headed in the right direction. But making New Year’s resolutions is not enough: Take action now to ensure that you and your family or loved ones are prepared for the future! Create […]