What instructions can I provide in my Will? You can provide little instruction or very detailed instructions in your Will. Usually, though, a Will provides instructions for the care of any children and also names a “personal representative” to manage and distribute your estate after you die. The personal representative, which can also be a… Continue Reading
Estate Planning, Collaborative Family Law & Mediation
Category Archives: Estate Planning
Powers of Attorney
What is a power of attorney? A power of attorney is written permission for someone (the attorney-in-fact) to take care of property or money matters for you (the principle) in whatever way you want. Even though this person is called an “attorney-in-fact”, they do not have to be a lawyer. With a power of attorney,… Continue Reading
An Estate Planning Vocabulary Primer
There’s no doubt that lawyers speak a language all their own, but when it comes to wills or probate matters, knowing a few key terms can go along way toward streamlining the process and improving your understanding of what your lawyer is talking about. Here are some of the more commonly heard terms: Power of… Continue Reading
The Three Estate Planning Documents Every Adult Needs
Estate planning runs from doing nothing at all to the elaborate and complex. But, regardless of what type of estate plan you have, there are three legal documents every adult should have. If you are over 18, you should have a Health Care Directive, a HIPAA Release and a Durable Power of Attorney. Should you… Continue Reading
More On Probate
For the first part of this series, see: About Probate. Who is the personal representative? A personal representative is an individual or entity who is responsible for administering or “probating” the decedent’s estate. Usually, if a person dies with a Will, the decedent has named a personal representative in the Will. If there is no… Continue Reading
DIY Estate Planning
In these cost-conscious times, it is not uncommon to ask yourself: “why shouldn’t I write my on Will?” or “Why shouldn’t I use one of those on-line Trust forms?” after all, your situation seems simple enough, you know how you want your estate to be handled and, given all those readily available on-line forms, it… Continue Reading
About Probate
Probate is the legal court process for paying a person’s debts and expenses and distributing a person’s property after that person’s death. In a probate matter, the person who has died is called the “decedent,” and his or her property is called the “estate.” Usually, a decedent’s debts are paid from the estate and any… Continue Reading
Estate Planning Tasks You Shouldn’t Put Off
It’s easy to put off estate planning, after all estate planning means having to: deal with lawyers, keeping tabs on the latest games Congress is playing with the estate taxes, and contemplate the possibility that one day you may become incapacitate or die. But as Christine Benz points out in her Morningstar article: “5 Estate… Continue Reading
Common Questions About Wills
What does a Will do? A Will is a written document that, typically, accomplishes two primary things. First, it directs who will receive your “estate” after your death, Second, it provides instructions about what should happen after your death, including who should care and provide for your children or dependents. What is an Estate? Your… Continue Reading