Estate Planning: Fiduciary Roles Are Not Ceremonial

Effective estate planning is about much more than creating the legal documents that organize your affairs: it’s about designating the individuals who become responsible for carrying out your plans. Those you choose to serve as your power of attorney, executor...

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Succession and Estate Planning Tips for The Family Business

For many people, a business isn't just an asset on a balance sheet—it’s a life’s work. Without a clear plan for the future, an abrupt transition puts finances at risk, and creates ambiguity that leads to familial stress, misunderstandings, and...

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Conservator of The Estate?

If a loved one becomes incapacitated without a power of attorney in place, you can't just step in to manage their accounts and financial affairs. You have to petition a court to be appointed as conservator, sometimes referred to as...

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Estate Planning: Start With The Basics

We all know we should have at least a rudimentary plan for our families and assets in case disaster strikes, but it’s hard to get started. Here’s help in the form of a rundown of the vocabulary commonly used in...

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Estate Planning: Who Will Hold the Keys?

When creating an estate plan, most people are initially focused on who gets what. But there is an equally critical question that often gets sidelined: Who will actually carry out your wishes? Designating the right fiduciary—and preparing them ahead of...

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Intestate Succession, the Administrator’s Role, and Purpose of an Administrator Bond 

When someone dies without a will — a legal status called dying “intestate” — the state steps in to decide who inherits what. Understanding how that process works, who oversees it, and what protections are required is essential for families,...

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When There’s No Heir: Understanding Escheatment in Probate and Estate Law

Many estate planning conversations focus on who will inherit a person’s assets. But what happens when, legally, no one does? Escheatment is the legal process by which a deceased person’s property transfers to the state when no eligible heirs can...

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Seniors Beware: Estate Planning Scams

Scams that trick us out of our money and personal information are everywhere it seems, and the older we get, the more we are likely to be taken advantage of. Scams have even made their way into estate planning. Although...

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Protecting Your Passion: Estate Planning Strategies for Collectors

Art, rare coins, vintage automobiles, and historic stamps inspire passionate collectors. So do LEGO series, Barbies, vintage matchbooks, snow globes, rocks, Happy Meal toys, and even Polly Pockets. Some of these collections are high in monetary value. Others are higher...

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Suing on Behalf of the Estate?

When a person passes away, their legal claims and financial interests don’t vanish—they transfer to their estate. Because an estate cannot speak for itself in court, the executor (named in a will) or administrator (appointed by the court), steps in...

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