Category Archives: wills
Why Having an Estate Plan is Not Enough: The Top 3 Things You can do to Protect Yourself and Your Heirs
From Anna Nicole Smith to Archie Bunker, there have been dozens of high profile celebrity probate disputes in the past two decades. Many of these legal battles center around abuse, neglect, or poorly drafted legal instruments. Often, these cases also involve nontraditional family arrangements and late life marriages. When Anna Nicole, 26, married J…. Read More »
When Families Fight in Probate Court
In a world where elder law attorneys seem to make more money representing feuding siblings than from providing skilled preventative advice to seniors, it should come as no surprise that probate has become one of the most controversial and contentious areas of practice in recent years. Will contests, trust disputes, and adult children fighting… Read More »
Is an Estate Plan Part of Your New Year’s Resolution?
It’s true that setting up an estate plan may not be the most tantalizing New Year’s resolution, but it does make a lot of sense. You may be surprised to learn that according to the Static Brain Research Institute, just eight percent of Americans actually keep their New Year’s resolutions, despite the fact that… Read More »
Three Excuses Older Adults Give for Not Discussing Estate Planning
Sometimes the first call to an elder law attorney comes from a person who is not a senior at all. In fact, adult children often call seeking help for their parents or grandparents. Sometimes this is because the aging parent is physically or mentally unable to make decisions or take on the difficult process… Read More »
What Happens if I Don’t Have a Will?
Lawyers often lament that so many seniors are resistant to discussing their estate plans. No one wants to talk about dying; it makes us face our mortality and ultimate fears like: Will I suffer? Will I be cared for? Will I be stuck in a nursing home? Will I be remembered? Will my children… Read More »
Creating Advance Directives that Honor Your Religious Wishes
According to the Pew Research Center, Americans are largely devout in their religious beliefs. Specifically, the Center found that: “Two-thirds of the public agrees with [the following statements]: (1) prayer is an important part of their daily life; (2) we will all be called before God at the Judgment Day; and (3) they never… Read More »
I Was Named the Executor? Now What?
If you are like most people, you may have not seen your parents’ wills. That is, of course, assuming they have wills. Likewise, you may have not asked your siblings, spouse or other loved ones if they would kindly let you inspect theirs either. Death and estate planning are difficult topics for most people… Read More »
What is a Will and Do I Need One?
The prospect of estate planning can be daunting. There are different instruments – wills, trusts, powers of attorney – and they can be difficult to understand. It can be complicated to figure out which instruments are best for you. A good place to start is to understand your options. What are wills? Wills are… Read More »
