Owners of small or closely-held businesses may encounter certain challenges with respect to operational excellence that are less applicable in larger entities. Often times these small businesses operate less formally …
Preventing Problems in Estate Planning
When you make a will or trust, you are not obligated to leave property to anyone. In order to discourage disappointed heirs from disputing your estate plan, you can include …
Trust Disputes vs. Probate
Many people use trusts to achieve specific estate planning goals. Such trusts are designed to save money by avoiding probate fees and delays, and by deferring or reducing estate taxes. …
State to State Estate Planning
Relocating to a new state often creates issues affecting estate planning. Many people wonder if they need a new will or trust when they move from one state to another. …
Second Marriages Later in Life
Second marriages later in life can be wonderful experiences and often should be encouraged, but they are not without some special considerations. Often, older couples have to cope with adult …
Inheritance in Trust
Getting an inheritance in trust may be the best way to get (or give) an inheritance. Let me explain. Most clients want all or at least part of their estate …
Estate Planning: Owing More Than You Own
When formulating your estate plan, it is good to figure what you own and what you owe before deciding what to leave to whom. However, it is possible to add …
Changing Your Will or Trust
The situation is common. A client has a will or trust prepared by legal counsel. Sometime later the client wishes to make changes to the estate plan. The question is, …
Funeral Planning & Legal Issues
When you die, who will decide what happens to your body? Who will decide your burial location and the funeral arrangements? If a daughter from an earlier marriage wants her …
What is Probate?
It is common to hear the statement, “I want to avoid probate” or “I don’t want my family to go through the horrors of probate.” When you ask these same …