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...
The probate process is already lengthy enough -- but it can get a lot longer if there’s a problem identifying or locating the decedent’s heirs. Until there’s been a reasonable effort to locate any unknown or missing heirs, nothing can move forward. How an executor can...
When people open financial accounts, such as checking, savings, or money market accounts, they can name a beneficiary who will receive the balance if the owner passes away. This is an important component of an estate plan because it holds more weight than a will. ...
People often update their will throughout their life. When a family member dies, you would expect to distribute their estate according to the most recent version of their will. However, this may be inappropriate. There are times that a loved one's most recent will...
If you’re working on your will now, something you may want to do is to prevent a will contest. If you have several beneficiaries and know that conflicts might arise, you should talk to your attorney about different options for limiting their right to contest your...
When you pass away, there is a potential that your loved ones will have to go through some kind of estate litigation. While you may have set up trusts in the way you saw fit, if they don’t think the terms are fair, then one or more of your heirs may contest your...
