Our Blog - Surety Matters

Family disputes over real estate or gifts. Contesting wills or trusts. Conflicts about guardianships or conservatorships. These are all examples of issues that can result in lengthy probate litigation cases. Experts advice families on the…
Read Moreabout Probate Litigation?

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?

If a loved one or friend has asked you to execute their will, chances are, like most people, you’ve said yes. Now what?  Understanding the Duties of an Executor  Executing a will is a legal…
Read Moreabout Be Prepared: How To Execute a Will

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