Over 100 heirs? Whether you're distributing billions—or just wanting your values to carry on—thoughtful planning is non-negotiable. That’s the only way to make sure your wealth and your values land where you want them. Read more…
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The late Zappos CEO left behind millions—and zero estate plan. What followed? Total chaos, sticky notes as “wishes,” and courtroom headaches that could’ve been avoided with a solid plan (and a couple of check-ins).
Lesson? No matter your age or bank account, proper estate planning matters. And yes, regular reviews too. Read more and learn how to keep your legacy drama-free.
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Roses wilt. Chocolates disappear. But peace of mind? That’s forever.
This Valentine’s Day, skip the cliché gifts and give something truly meaningful—an estate plan that says, “I’ve got you.”
Protect your loved ones from court, conflict, and confusion.
Ensure your kids, assets, and wishes are covered—no guesswork, no stress.
Nothing says "I love you" like securing your family’s future. Read more!
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Picture this: You’re in your twenties, completing a form at your job, and designating your partner as the beneficiary of your retirement account. Fast forward 28 years—you’ve moved on, experienced life to the fullest, and then passed away, leaving your former partner with your now-million-dollar retirement savings. Sounds unbelievable? Think again. Read on to find out more.
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The internet is awash with DIY Wills and Trusts, tempting you with the prospect of saving money and safeguarding your loved ones posthumously. However, be wary! These solutions can end up causing far more problems than they solve. Discover why.
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In this blog, we delve into how including your partner in your Will and estate plan transcends being a mere romantic expression, representing the deepest demonstration of love and commitment. Dive in to learn more.
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AARP and the Red Cross celebrate Make-A-Will Month by encouraging you to make a Will for free online, but what they aren’t sharing could leave your family with a mess. Read more…
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Did you forget any of these critical financial steps when you created a Trust? Be sure to read this week’s blog to learn why proper funding of your Trust is essential to making it work! Read more.
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When you think of estate planning, a Will is usually the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, most people who contact me tell me they don’t need anything complicated for their estate- just a Will. But although they are a key part of your estate plan, relying on only a Will leaves huge gaps in your estate and actually guarantees that your family will need to go to court when you die. Read more …
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Although it might seem foolproof to leave your pet to someone you trust through your Will, this estate planning tool alone won’t work to protect your pet from an uncertain future. Read more to learn why a Will is not the best planning tool for your pet and what you should do instead to ensure your furry, feathered, or scaly friends are cared for no matter what. Read More…
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Stephen “tWitch” Boss, a hip-hop dancer, choreographer, and TV producer known for his role on So You Think You Can Dance and The Ellen Show, passed away suddenly on December 13, 2022. Because Boss died without a Will or Trust, Boss’ widow and three children must navigate the court system to collect his assets. Find out why this cautionary tale is relevant to everyone, not just the rich and famous. Read More…
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If you are looking to create your last will and testament, or will, online, you’ll find dozens of websites that let you prepare a variety of estate planning documents for very little money and even for free. With so many do-it-yourself online document services out there, you might believe you can create your will online, all on your own, without paying a lawyer to help.
And in some cases, you can create your will online.
But if you do, you need to understand how these services can backfire on you and your family. Online estate planning can be a catastrophe for those who aren’t aware of the risks. And as you’ll see, creating your will online without a lawyer’s guidance can even be worse for your family than if you’d done nothing at all.
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Actress Anne Heche died this August following a tragic car accident, leaving behind two young sons: Homer Heche Laffoon, age 20, and Atlas Heche Tupper, age 13.
Last week, in part one, we covered the way uncertainty around Heche’s estate plan is creating conflict among her loved ones and resulting in her estate going through the lengthy, expensive, and public court process called probate. In part two, we’ll discuss two additional issues related to Heche’s death and the results of her failure to work with a lawyer on her planning.
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Last week, in part one, we looked at the different things having a will in place allows you to do. Here, in part two, we detail all of the things that your will does not do, along with identifying the specific estate planning tools and strategies that you should have in place to make up for the potential blind spots that exist in an estate plan that consists of only a will.
If you have yet to create your will or haven’t reviewed your existing will recently, contact us, your Personal Family Lawyer® to get this vital first step in your estate planning handled right away.
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August is “National Make-A-Will Month,” and if you have already prepared your will, congratulations—too few Americans have taken this key first step in the estate planning process. Only 33% of Americans have created their will, according to Caring.com’s 2022 Wills and Estate Planning Study.
Yet, while having a will is important—and all adults over age 18 should have this document in place—for all but a few people, creating a will is just one small part of an effective estate plan that works to keep your loved ones out of court and out of conflict. With this in mind, here we look at exactly what having a will in place will—and will not—do for you and your loved ones in terms of estate planning. If you have yet to create your will, or you haven’t reviewed your existing will recently, contact us, your Personal Family Lawyer® to get this vital first step in your estate planning handled right away.
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In fact, without a thorough understanding of how the legal process works upon your death or incapacity, along with knowing how it applies specifically to your family dynamics and the nature of your assets, you’ll likely make serious mistakes when creating a DIY will or trust. And the worst part is that these mistakes won’t be discovered until you are gone—and the very people you were trying to protect will be the ones stuck cleaning up the mess you created just to save a few bucks.
Estate planning is definitely not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Even if you think your particular situation is simple, that turns out to almost never be the case. To demonstrate just how complicated estate planning can be, last week in part one, we highlighted the first five of 10 of the most common estate-planning mistakes, and here we wrap up the list with the remaining five mistakes.
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Because estate planning involves actively thinking about and planning for frightening topics like death, old age, and crippling disability, many people put it off or simply ignore it all together until it’s too late. Sadly, this unwillingness to face reality often creates serious hardship, expense, and trauma for those loved ones you leave behind.
To complicate matters, the recent proliferation of online estate planning document services, such as LegalZoom®, Rocket Lawyer®, and Trustandwill.com, may have misled you into thinking that estate planning is a do-it-yourself (DIY) affair, which involves nothing more than filling out the right legal forms. However, proper estate planning entails far more than filling out legal forms.
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Unless you’ve created an estate plan that works to keep your family out of court when you die (or become incapacitated) many of your assets must go through probate before those assets can be distributed to your heirs. Like most court proceedings, probate can be time-consuming, costly, and open to the public, and because of this, avoiding probate—and keeping your family out of court—is often a central goal of estate planning.
To spare your loved one’s the time, cost, and stress inherent to probate, last week in part one of this series, we explained how the probate process works and what it would entail for your loved ones. Here in part two, we’ll discuss the major drawbacks of probate for your family, and outline the different ways you can help them avoid probate with wise planning.
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