You’re surprised when you find out that you’ve been disinherited. Your parents have passed away, and the estate administrator reads the will. You’re not mentioned anywhere, and the assets are given to other heirs and beneficiaries. The administrator tells you that...
Your elderly relative has always been caring and compassionate. They’ve provided help for you and other family members whenever it has been needed, and they intend to do the same when they pass. An estate plan allows your loved one to do exactly this, through a will,...
The time after a family member has passed away is very upsetting. On top of dealing with grief, you may have to play a role in handling their estate plan. Over the years, you developed a strong sense of the final wishes of your loved one. This is because you...
Your elderly relative took care of you for years when you were younger, and you’ve pledged to do the same for them as they reach their twilight years. You know that they care deeply about their family, including you, your siblings and all of the younger children. For...
Trusts are created for all kinds of reasons, and their grantors sometimes have very specific ideas about what makes someone worthy to benefit from those assets. This is where incentive trusts come into play. Incentive trusts are designed to exert a bit of “dead-hand...
Estate planning involves the drafting of legal documents that provide instructions on how your assets should be distributed upon your death. You can also use estate planning tools to nominate guardians for your young children, manage your finances and even your health...
Ideally, after someone dies, the family will access the will, and the executor will carry out the wishes the deceased laid out in it. Yet, sometimes no will is forthcoming. What then? Make sure you have looked everywhere If you believe your loved one made a will, then...
We live in a very litigious society. A will that is meant to take the guesswork out of the picture regarding what you want to happen to your estate when you die can become the subject of a costly legal battle. There are legitimate grounds upon which a will can be...
Most people give a lot of thought to whom they appoint as a trustee. Despite this, some trustees turn out to be dishonest and see their position as a means to make money. Some may do so because that’s how they always are. Others do it because they find themselves in a...
There are several ways that people can legally specify to whom they wish to leave particular assets. While a will is the best known and most commonly used of these options, it is not necessarily the strongest. One situation where problems can occur is when a person...
