One of the most important jobs of an estate planning attorney in Mississippi is to help parents choose the right guardian for their children.  This is the person (or people) designated by you to care for your minor children if you should die before they become adults.  Working with an estate attorney to choose a […]

The person whom Jackson trust and estates attorneys have long referred to as the “executor” also has an alternative name when managing your estate. Known as the “personal representative,” this person is appointed by either the person doing the estate planning or by the courts when there was no one named in a will.  When named in […]

Jackson, Mississippi Wills and Estates Lawyer Answers, “What Happens to a Person’s Debts When They Die?” Mortgages, loans, credit cards, even medical bills…nearly every wills and estates lawyer in the Jackson, Mississippi Metro Area is asked about what happens to a person’s debt when they die.  It doesn’t seem quite fair for your descendants to […]

Yesterday the United States Supreme Court upheld the healthcare reforms commonly called “Obama Care.”  But, the Court did say that states should have the option to expand their Medicaid rolls without facing any penalty.  A key component of the law was insuring many uninsured people by reducing the Medicaid qualification limits. Medicaid already covers over […]

If the current proposal before congress to eliminate the stretch IRA provisions from the tax code go into effect, it presents an even more compelling reason to convert traditional IRA's into Roth IRA's.  While most people are reluctant to pay taxes now on a tax deferred account, the ability to pay taxes now under current […]

The most recent proposed transportation legislation before congress has a provision that removes the ability of inheriting beneficiaries of traditional IRA's to take out the inherited funds over their lifetimes (because that has a lot to do with transportation infrastructure).  The so-called Stretch IRA provisions that have been contained in tax code for close to […]

The first cost-of-living adjustment since 2008 has recently been made, bringing a 3.6% increase in pension benefits for aid & attendance recipients.  The new payments are effective December 1, 2011, for benefits payable January of 2012.  The new A&A pension payments are as follows: Single Veteran: $1,704 Married Veteran: $2,020 Surviving Spouse of a Veteran: […]

Alzheimer’s not only affects the individual and his/her family, but their finances as well. A recenbt article lays out some planning methods to carry out once an individual has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The Alzheimer patient needs a team of individuals to help make sure their planning goes the way they intended. A certified Elder […]

In addition to more traditional estate planning documents like wills and trusts, a prenuptial agreement can be another estate planning tool. These agreements are not only for the rich and famous.  Anyone getting getting married who has already accumulated a separate estate should consider executing a prenuptial agreement prior to marriage. This document can help […]

No matter how old or young you are you should have some kind of estate planning in place. A collegue in Florida accounts a recent encounter with a young couple who did not plan.  The couple was young and a second marriage, and had a young child.  The two of them executed identical wills and […]