You may be wondering if it’s time to make an estate plan. You’ve been thinking of doing it eventually, but you haven’t gotten around to it yet. But, perhaps, you’ve discovered that most Americans don’t have an estate plan. You may start wondering if you even need to...
Wills
3 important estate planning tasks people can achieve with a will
A will is often the most important document included in someone's estate plan. Some people only ever put together a will and don't add any supplemental documents to their estate plan. Other people use a will as the foundation of their plan and add numerous other legal...
5 important features of an estate plan
Have you ever made an estate plan? You, like millions of others, may not know where to start. To understand what’s included in an estate plan, then you should consider reading the following: 1. Will A will is the most basic legal document included in an estate plan....
How much help can you provide a loved one with their estate plan?
If you have a widowed or divorced parent who’s been postponing estate planning (even creating a simple will), you may feel like you have to literally take them by the hand to get them started. They may not have much to leave behind. You’d just like them to get their...
Why do new parents need an estate plan?
Just had a new child? Don’t yet have an estate plan? Then creating one is more urgent than ever. Here is why you need to focus on paperwork for a moment rather than your baby: Your child needs to be able to survive without you We don’t all get to die at a ripe old...
Does your will reflect your current wishes?
You drafted a will a few years ago, which is certainly an important step. However, the whole point of a will is that it reflects your current wishes and brings them to fruition should something happen to you. Many people fall into the trap of drafting a will and...
Understanding the healthcare power of attorney
Life comes with its share of uncertainties. One of the uncertainties of life is the inability to tell what will happen in the future. If you are incapacitated following an accident or develop a condition that inhibits your ability to make important decisions on your...
If you don’t have children, do you still need an estate plan?
You’re happily married, but children have never been on the radar for you. As a result, you’ve put estate planning on the backburner. You assume that everything will automatically go to your spouse if you predecease them. Is this really the case? Is estate planning...
Will a no-contest clause work to keep your will secure?
While doing your estate planning, you hear plenty of stories about heirs who start will contests and end up in legal disputes with their siblings. You don't want that to happen to your family, so you consider adding a no-contest clause to the estate plan. Essentially,...
Will your heirs need to pay your debts?
When you're making an estate plan, you look at all of the assets that you have and you divide them between your heirs however you choose. You can put money in a trust, you can leave the money directly to an heir or you can use some combination to set up a plan that...