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If you're like me, this year has flown by, and now here we are, two months remain in 2025, and the holidays are fast approaching. If 2025 is the year you promised yourself you would get an estate plan done — or maybe update the one you already have —and...

The following is an informative article if you're considering working on your estate plan. I found it at Kiplinger online. Written by MP Dunleavey, and it was most recently updated on 10/29/25. "The one thing Ann J. can say for certain about her mother's estate plan...

A recent article about 2025 and 2026 Gift Tax Exclusions, found at Kiplinger and written by Kelley R. Taylor, may be of interest to you. Now is the time to make decisions and plan, so if this article is relevant to your situation, I'd be honored to help you. Please...

Just the other day, a friend mentioned that she had overheard someone say, "If you have a will, your loved ones don't have to go through probate." I am confident the individual offering that advice was NOT an attorney because that statement is not valid. But it does...

We have all seen movies where a disgruntled family member, upon discovering they have been left out of the wealthy relative's will, declares they will contest the will. It isn't as easy in real life to do that successfully. So, if you are considering contesting a will...

I haven't posted information about blended families in quite a while. The most recent data show that around 40% of married couples with children in a household have one or both spouses who brought children from a prior relationship. I wouldn't be surprised to learn...

The following article from NerdWallet, published on May 5, 2023, and authored by Elizabeth Ayoola, provides interesting information about a topic that is not often discussed but should be. If you have a loved one who has a mental illness for whom you want to provide...

Recently, a friend mentioned a book she was reading in which parents of adult children die in a tragic auto accident. Each parent had a will naming the other as the beneficiary, as expected, but, as it turns out, each left very different instructions should the other...

The following article was originally published on Kiplinger in August 2023. The authors, Elaine Silvestrini and David Rodeck updated it in early October 2025. Their updates, including a survey about inheritance expectations by age, are interesting, and they have added...