There may be surprises in store when a loved one dies. These can be pleasurable ones, such as finding out your aunt left you a fortune you never knew she had. Or, they can be less pleasant. Perhaps the most disappointing of all is finding out that a family member is...
When individuals speak about details that may delay the estate planning process, they often mention challenges in locating beneficiaries and selling off assets to facilitate the distribution of assets to heirs. Sometimes, however, the disputes are personal. Many...
Guardianship involves providing care and support for someone who can not do so for themselves. Parents are typically the guardians of their children, although other people can also serve a guardianship role. Parents name guardians in their estate plans so that someone...
Questions about undue influence may arise once a case once someone passes away. One heir may allege that another used undue influence to have the elderly person alter their will. The basic premise of this argument is that the person didn’t want to write their will...
There is so much involved in being an executor for someone's estate that it is essentially a full-time job. You may need to devote dozens of hours of your life to handling paperwork, making phone calls and resolving financial issues. In addition to all of that work,...
An irrevocable trust is forever, right? Well, not necessarily. When a trust no longer seems to serve the purposes for which it was intended or the laws have changed in ways that no longer work well with the terms of the trust, an old trust can sometimes be “decanted”...
Your parents had a life insurance policy, and they counted it as a major part of their estate. When they passed away, though, you found that the designation was not what you’d expected. You’re not named and you’ll get nothing. Can you dispute this? In some cases,...
When you’re developing your estate plan, choosing an executor to manage your estate and trustees to manage your trusts after you’re gone are among the most important decisions you’ll make. If you’re a family member or other beneficiary of a will or trust, you’ll have...
An estimated 60% of the American population is aware of the need to have a will in place, yet research shows that only 40% have drafted one. One of the main reasons Americans don't have wills is that they are misinformed about what happens if they don't have one....
Going through estate litigation after the passing of a loved one can be a very distressing thing to go through. That's why it's important that you seek support from friends and those who will advocate for you. Knowing that you are not going through this alone and...
