Financial Security: Family Trusts
Trusts can be a useful way to protect and distribute assets to family members. Here is an overview of the advantages of establishing a trust. For a trust to achieve it’s goals, you’ll also need…
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Guardianship: Are There Alternatives?
Though sometimes necessary, going to court to set up guardianship for loved ones who can no longer reliably make decisions for themselves can be difficult, and painful. Court involvement makes the matter public, and…
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No Will: Chadwick Boseman’s Estate
Widely admired—and loved—, actor Chadwick Boseman was only 43 years old when he died in 2020 after a battle with colon cancer. While his estate was valued at nearly $4 million when he died,…
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Coping With Brain Disease: Legal Advice
Progressively debilitating brain diseases, like Alzheimers, require courage—and advance planning. Though estate planning is important for everyone, it is especially important for those coping with Alzheimers and other forms of dementia to act decisively…
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Executor? Get Ready
When you’re entrusted with the will and other affairs of someone you care about, it’s best to prepare ahead. Of course that sounds awful, but grief will make the fiduciary responsibilities you’ve accepted even…
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Estate Plan: Update vs Rewrite?
Mustering family energy and focus to complete an estate plan once is a pretty big deal, right? While doing so is a gift to everyone involved, estate planning is not a “set it and forget…
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Probate vs Probate Litigation?
When a loved one dies, grief can make legal terms even harder to comprehend then usual. Here’s clarity on probate: most families will work through their state’s probate process to settle the affairs of…
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Trusts and Wills: Understanding Differences
Wills and trusts are both helpful estate planning tools. Either a will or a trust enables families to lay out how assets are ultimately to be distributed. When wills are used, the public probate…
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Will Contests Delay Probate
Although many states now have expedited probate processes, lengthy delays can still occur. For example, if there is a challenge to the validity of a will, the probate process essentially comes to a halt—no…
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