A power of attorney is an essential tool in planning for the possibility of becoming incapacitated and needing someone to manage your affairs on your behalf. These legal documents can grant broad authority to one or more power of attorney agents to transact business or make medical decisions based on your behalf. The Different Forms […]
A Living will is also called an advance health care directive. It specifies what decisions you want medical professionals to make if you are incapable of making them due to accidents or illness. A living will is crucial for all adults because accidents or a sudden onset of severe or terminal illness can happen at […]
A spouse or long-term partner’s loss makes it difficult to think beyond just your grief. However, it is crucial to understand there are important and timely decisions you need to make regarding your finances and personal estate plan. In truth, estate planning is perpetual as it accounts for changes in marriages, deaths, divorces, and births […]
People with disabilities can save money tax-free through special needs trusts (SNT) and Achieving a Better Life Experience accounts (ABLE). Both options provide a mechanism for saving money and protecting resources that ensures the person with a disability (PWD) continues their eligibility for public benefits programs. Accumulating resources for the benefit of a PWD without […]
It can be challenging to address and legally formalize the inheritance of family values and assets, especially for parents who wait too long to start passing them on. Undoubtedly the best time to teach and empower your children as eventual inheritors of your family legacy is during childhood, then continuing throughout adulthood. Waiting until your […]
A lack of a plan leaves your family’s financial legacy to the court’s administration of your state’s intestacy laws. Dying without an estate plan or a basic will creates confusion, work, and heartache for your family at a time when they should be mourning your loss. Aside from not having an estate plan, failing to […]
Trusts set up for loved ones with disabilities are typically supervised by the grantor (the individual who creates and funds the trust). However, it is crucial to choose a successor trustee who will continue properly managing the SNT to benefit the individual with special needs. When selecting a reliable, honest, and capable successor trustee, there […]
Talking with your parents about their will, or lack thereof, can be challenging. Many adult children put off having the “dreaded talk” with parents and are unprepared when an unforeseen event like an accident or illness happens. A 2022 survey conducted by caring.com shows despite the COVID-19 pandemic, two-thirds of adult Americans do not have a will […]
Many families struggle with sibling rivalry. Depending on your particular family members and the dynamic between them, old rivalries from the past can become more significant when a parent passes. Adult children who are emotionally upset and in the unfamiliar territory of an inheritance process can invent new problems or magnify existing ones. Protecting Family […]
All Americans who wish to protect their families and themselves must have an estate plan. Making sound decisions regarding finances and healthcare can become challenging as you age due to diminished mental capacity or declining health. Putting these five must-have legal documents in place before life becomes too difficult to handle is crucial for your […]
Taking into consideration the future care of their special needs child requires parents to take on unique responsibilities. Funding a special needs trust (SNT) with life insurance is one of the most important things you can do to provide additional monies while protecting eligibility for government benefit programs. Life insurance policies provide special needs families […]
This question comes up all the time: “Couldn’t I just make a will online, transfer my land and put my children into a bank account when I die?” It’s just not a good idea. For the plan to work as you would want it to, it should account for plenty of complications. A good plan […]