Occasionally, after completing your estate plan, you may be surprised to discover a reference to Joseph P. Kennedy and his descendants buried deep within your trust document. Discovering in your very personal estate planning documents the name of someone with whom your family has absolutely no connection can be particularly puzzling, and even distressing. But, before […]
In a constantly evolving world, having the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances is a valuable trait. But is flexibility less important in estate planning than in other areas of life? In many situations, you may not want your estate planning documents to be flexible after you have signed them. If your planning could be changed […]
A common misconception people have about life insurance is that they only need to designate their spouse, child, or loved one as the beneficiary of the policy to ensure that the life insurance benefits will be available to the beneficiary when they die. Life insurance is an important financial and estate planning tool, but without certain […]
Working with an attorney to draft a trust agreement for estate planning purposes is an important step. But just getting the document drafted and signed is not enough. For any trust to be effective, you must complete the process of trust funding as soon as you can. But what exactly is funding? A common way to […]
Estate planning can be a very difficult process. While it is not brain surgery, making the decision to move forward with an estate plan requires us to face the fact that we will not live forever. This thought stops many people in their tracks. Others talk themselves out of seeing a qualified attorney to create an […]
It’s no secret that people love to watch dramatizations of their legal system in action. Nearly every law school student can point to fond memories of watching Perry Mason, Matlock, or Law & Order as their representation of legal work in action. Part of the ongoing nostalgia is revisiting those earlier favorite shows and films. In fact, […]
If you were to ask attorneys across the country how often they get phone calls like the following, the answer (“Very frequently”) may surprise you. The phone call might go something like this: “Hi, this is John Jones. My dad, Bill Jones, passed away recently and we have torn the house apart looking for his estate […]
For many people, the thought of doing any estate planning strikes fear into their hearts. It can be uncomfortable to even consider the possibility of no longer being able to manage your own affairs, let alone no longer being alive. For far too many people, this causes them to put off the crucial task of estate […]
