Estate Planning

We all understand the importance of having a will. It's a way to ensure that your loved ones receive the inheritance you've worked so hard to acquire for them over the course of your lifetime. Additionally, you want to make sure that your family's adjustment into...

If you're like most people, you probably think of wills when you think about estate planning. But there's another important tool that can be part of your estate plan: trusts.  Trusts can be used for various purposes, from avoiding probate to managing assets during...

When you include the right documents in your estate plan, you can protect yourself throughout your golden years, as well as your dependent family members. Some documents largely protect you as the testator or specific family members. Powers of attorney benefit...

Usually, assets that may be probated are titled under your name. Such assets may include your bank accounts, investments, home and vehicles. If you die and these assets are under your name, they’ll have to go through probate before they’re transferred to your heirs or...

A Do Not Resuscitate order, often known as a DNR order, is set up to prevent medical professionals from restarting someone’s heart or their breathing if either process ceases. The individual does not want to be kept on life-support, and they don’t want machines to be...

Disinheriting someone means cutting them out of your will even if they would have otherwise expected to be in that estate plan. For instance, simply not leaving money to a family friend doesn’t mean that you’re disinheriting them. They should not have expected to...

Drafting a will gives you control over your assets after your death. You can provide an inheritance for family members or even leave certain property for a charitable cause. When you have a baby, a will could be a means of providing financial support for your child if...

People sometimes believe that they don’t need to do their estate planning yet, and they may even think that it’s detrimental to do it too early. When you talk to those who don’t have an estate plan – the majority of Americans – they will often say that they don’t...

The business that you own may represent the vast majority of your personal wealth. It could also be evidence of a lifetime of career development and personal sacrifice. You naturally have specific intentions regarding your business. Maybe you want your loved ones to...

At some point in your life, you’ll plan your estate. Most people plan their estate later in life when they have more assets to consider distributing, which can discourage younger people from creating a will. Yet, wills aren’t just about asset distribution. You’ll have...