Many estate disputes are conflicts between beneficiaries revolving around sentimental items that their parents owned. These are items that the beneficiaries have an emotional connection to, but they may have little financial value. For example, perhaps their father...
Estate Planning
Helping elderly parents come to terms with mortality
If you are part of the “sandwich generation,” those raising children while also caretaking for elderly parents or other relatives, you may be frustrated with your parents dragging their feet about planning for their golden years. The following tips may make it easier...
Totten trusts add a layer of privacy to estate planning
One often overlooked estate planning tool is a simple Totten trust. Also known as payable-on-death accounts, they can add privacy to your estate plan. Below is some important information to anyone looking for nontraditional options for their comprehensive estate plan....
3 consequences of not having an up-to-date estate plan
Putting off estate planning is very much the norm here in the United States. While all adults should put one in place as soon as they legally can, statistics show that most people do not. There are vast numbers of people in every decade of life who still do not have...
The risk of changing your estate plan at the last minute
It is a good idea to update your estate plan periodically. This is especially true if you wrote it at a relatively young age. Your life circumstances are going to change, and you may need to make alterations based on marriage, divorce, a medical diagnosis, changes to...
What is a QTIP trust (and why you might need one)
For Californians doing their estate planning, finding the best options that fit your family's needs and unique circumstances can seem overwhelming. But that doesn’t mean you can keep putting off the inevitable. For blended families where there are children from prior...
Why would aging parents refuse to get advance directives?
Advance directives are legal documents that allow individuals to outline their medical treatment preferences if they cannot communicate those decisions themselves. Many families encourage aging parents to complete these directives. However, not all older adults are...
Tips for talking to your family about an estate plan
Your estate plan is the way that you can provide instructions to your loved ones for how to handle your affairs if you’re ever incapacitated or once you pass away. While creating the plan might be something you dread, you may soon realize that having to tell your...
When should you update your estate plan?
Adults create an estate plan so their loved ones have instructions about how to handle their final affairs. Some adults assume this is a one-and-done event, but it’s critical that they realize that all estate plans must be updated periodically. Estate plans must be...
Making charity a part of your estate plan
If you want to support a cause you care about, your estate plan can allow you to do so. Charitable giving through your estate is a way to create a lasting legacy. There are several ways to include a gift to charity, with trusts being one of the most flexible options....