An executor is appointed to close out the affairs of a deceased person. The last will and testament is used to name the executor, but if one has not been named or no will exists, the court needs to appoint a person in this role.  An executor has what is known as a fiduciary duty. […]

Do you have a goal of keeping current family money in the family when you pass away? There are several different steps to accomplish in this, each of which can be discussed with an estate planning attorney. A person who has a current 401(k) or IRA account could accidentally leave behind not just the assets […]

This is a question you might not have contemplated until the pandemic raised concerns about health all over the United States. It’s come front and center for those parents who have a child who has either gone off to college for the first time or returned to campus for the first time since the pandemic […]

The establishment of a trust is usually a more advanced form of an estate plan and it requires at least three parties, some of who may be served by the same person. The first party to a trust is the person who creates it known as the creator, settlor or grantor. The second party to […]

What happens to your assets as you get older is of chief concern not just for estate planning purposes but also for your own elder law planning. The key differentiating point between estate planning and elder law is that elder law professionals look at the holistic process and consider how your key documents and assets […]

Becoming a blended family presents unique opportunities and some challenges with regard to your financial and estate planning. In 40% of all new marriages in the United States, at least one of the spouses was previously married. There are unique financial and estate planning dynamics that can come from merging families, especially as it relates […]

Those approaching retirement today and looking forward to it in the next couple of years have likely navigated their entire life with a sense of purpose, and exiting the work market full time doesn’t mean you give up this purpose. A recent survey of retirees found that 55% of them said that retirement was viewed […]

The current environment of your state and the federal economy and relevant laws can help you to determine whether or not your estate plan meets your goals or needs to be adapted. The Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates very low has made a good environment for you to leverage advanced estate planning tools […]

In normal times and especially in a pandemic, many people use natural pause points to take stock of their lives and determine their next moves. For you, this might look like moving out of a home that was big enough to raise your kids in but too big to justify alone or with a spouse. […]

Undue influence happens when an outside party exerts pressure on an individual causing that individual to adjust their estate plans to the benefit of the influencer. In simple terms, this can often refer to one person taking advantage of another. A live in care provider to your elderly loved one, for example, might exert undue […]