Our Blog - Surety Matters

Imagine your loved ones digging through papers while in a state of grief? Unfortunately, this is what happens when there is a death in the family before affairs are put in order. For additional incentives…
Read Moreabout Grieving and Playing Detective?

If you have had the good fortune of enjoying a vacation home or timeshare, good for you! Don’t be too quick to assume, however, that family or friends want to continue your tradition when you…
Read Moreabout Vacation Joy or Inheritance Headache?

  Although estate planning can be complex in any family, lawyers find that large and blended families tend to face extra challenges. More people means there are likely to be more ideas and hopes about…
Read Moreabout Trust: Consider An Independent Fiduciary

 Achieving educational goals can be life-changing—as is the gift of paid tuition! A trust can be a great way to gift education to family members. Unlike a will, a trust, overseen by a trustee, allows…
Read Moreabout Educational Goals and Family Trusts

Unlike wills, trusts do not pass through the public probate process—and therefore can protect a family’s privacy. Some families, however, end up with public conflicts even when a trust has been established. Take, for example,…
Read Moreabout Out of Trust?

Every state has a probate process: legal steps through which property is transferred from the dead to the living. If there is a will, it is admitted to probate court to initiate the process. If…
Read Moreabout Probate and Personal Representatives?

  Unfavorable verdicts in civil court cases may be successfully overturned—if there are grounds for appeal based on the court’s legal proceedings. Lawyers share insights about what it takes to win on appeal. Clarity, Brevity…
Read Moreabout Winning on Appeal: The Basics Explained

  What happens when a married couple is divorcing, owns a business and is disputing who controls it—and the assets? One legal remedy that can help is an injunction. What’s An Injunction? Injunctions are often…
Read Moreabout Injunctions As a Remedy During Divorce Proceedings

Usually, when someone dies, probate court is notified by a friend or family member, so that the affairs of the deceased can be settled—and assets distributed. What if no one notifies the court to initiate…
Read Moreabout Probate Court: Administering Unsettled Affairs