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Too often, I find myself addressing the "what ifs" of things such as what if you don't make a will, what if you don't have a trust, etc. This post is about two incidents from "the field," as reporters say. It involves two widows, one widowed quite recently and the...

Blended families are so common today that I think most people don't consider them different from traditional families. For the most part, they aren't, but blended families need and deserve a little extra time and attention when it comes to estate planning.  Read...

No one would say that the laws impacting estate planning change frequently.  And that's good. We need them to be relied on for years, consistent from generation to generation. For example, can you imagine what would happen if laws regarding how individuals...

In the "old days," if an individual had a legally acceptable, up-to-date will, they were relatively set. Today, if you have a current, legally acceptable will, frankly, that is just the beginning. While the other recommended documents don't require much time or effort...

As "regular folk," many of us find ourselves fascinated with how celebrities manage or mismanage their lives, including their estate plans. You may be familiar with some of the following, which I found in an online article written by Erik Carter for Forbes and...

I thought the following piece from a column by Quentin Fottrell for MarketWatch 7/1/24 was a great example of what can happen in families regarding wills, estate planning, and the like. Many individuals put off writing their will because they don't want to make...

Latest statistics show about 50% of adults in the U.S. don’t have a will.  Reasons abound for that.  I think most, if not all, are under the impression that by doing nothing, well, they aren’t really doing anything related to estate planning.  But in...

I have found that many people aren't sure exactly what probate is, but they have heard that it is something to be avoided.  The following article from Kiplinger, 6/10/24, by Patrick Simasko, J.D., helps to clarify things. "The probate process can be a long and...

Let's face it: no one likes to think about their death. That is probably the primary reason so many Americans don't have a will; about 50% of us if the statistics are to be believed. Reasons abound from those who claim once they're dead, they won't care what happens...