One goal of estate planning is to ensure assets, including your home, pass to chosen beneficiaries quickly and inexpensively. In real estate, a common strategy to avoid probate is adding others to the title of the property, such as a spouse, children, or other beneficiaries. Many who use this strategy are banking on using the “rights […]
A foster child may enter your life through the court system, an agency, or your extended family. No matter how it starts, the relationship can become deeply personal, with a strong feeling the child is yours. However, the law does not always see the relationship this way for inheritance purposes. If you die without estate planning, […]
Yes, everyone needs an estate plan, regardless of whether that plan is centered around a will or a trust. These important tools ensure that your legacy will be carried out according to your wishes. They will allow you to provide for loved ones after your passing. A properly prepared trust can also help avoid probate, which […]
If you have a beloved late grandmother, many images and memories may come to mind when you reminisce about her. You might picture her at her home or at the family vacation house during the holidays. Your memory could be a special meal that only she prepared for you or a place she took you to. […]
How much stuff is too much? Most Americans would probably admit that they own too many things. From clothes to electronics to sports equipment to collectibles, the typical US house is stuffed to the brim with items of questionable utility. On occasion, we may commit to decluttering, only to get overwhelmed or distracted. Meanwhile, the stuff keeps […]
Most people usually think about who will receive their retirement and bank accounts, life insurance proceeds, real estate, and other valuable possessions upon their death. However, a person’s personal property (their stuff) can also be a source of value that needs to be addressed. When looking to start or continue your estate planning journey, ask yourself […]
Cohabitation without marriage is becoming more common in the United States. Among eighteen- to forty-four-year-olds, the percentage of adults who have lived with an unmarried partner at some point is now higher than the percentage of adults who have been married. When you live with a romantic partner, it may feel as though you share everything. […]
In estate planning circles, the word “probate” often carries a negative connotation. Indeed, many people—especially those with valuable accounts and property— desire to keep their accounts and property out of probate whenever possible. That being said, the probate system was ultimately established to protect the deceased’s accounts and property as well as their family, and in […]
