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Some years ago, my family and I watched the movie "Marley & Me." If you haven't seen it, Marley is the family dog that, near the end of the movie dies. My two young daughters didn't particularly enjoy the end because the beloved family dog died. After the movie,...

It is human nature to avoid topics that make us uneasy. However, certain decisions you avoid at your own peril. One of these decisions is whether or not you would like to decline life support when it is clear that death is imminent. Today's life support systems can...

Overview A gift tax is a tax on the value of gifts made to others during the taxpayer's lifetime. The gift tax complements the estate tax, which taxes distributions made at death. The gift tax was created, in part, to impede the attempts of those who tried to evade...

When I was younger and my kids were little, the last thing I would have wanted, if something happened to me and my wife, would be a situation where my children are surrounded by people they don't know, who don't have their best interest at heart or who are fighting...

Clients often tell me how much they procrastinate when it comes to doing their will. There are many reasons for it, but I often hear that many clients don't know what to expect. A look at the typical clauses that appear in a will can remove the mystery and relieve any...

What Is Joint Tenancy? First, let's define just what joint tenancy is. Joint tenancy is a legal term for an arrangement that defines the ownership rights among two or more co-owners of a property. In a joint tenancy, two or more people own property together, each with...

If a will is valid in one state, it generally will be valid in another. However, there are exceptions. If you move to or from Ohio, you should confirm with an attorney whether your will is still valid. Below are a few of the key validity issues to consider. They...

  You have likely heard all the arguments in favor of estate planning. You understand it's the right thing to do, you want to get it done, but perhaps you just aren't sure how to get started. Estate planning can feel like an overwhelming project. To get started I...