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  The following is a recent article from Kiplinger (9/1/25) authored by Donna LeValley. I thought it was interesting; hope you do as well. "You can use these trusts to cement your legacy, organize your estate and limit your exposure to estate and gift taxes....

Working with an experienced estate planning attorney offers plenty of benefits, and one of them is to help ensure you don't make a BIG mistake when naming your beneficiary. You wouldn't think this could be that tricky, but in fact it can be.   First, let's...

I first posted the following article in early 2023. The information is still worthwhile and in fact, the percentage of households in the US with at least one pet has increased to 71% from 70% in 2023. Read on for some considerations when it comes to estate planning...

Having a living will is essential for everyone, regardless of marital status, age, or life stage. If you're not sure what a living will is, basically, it is a legal document in which you provide instructions about the medical care you want to receive if you become...

Sometimes I hear stories about individuals who found themselves working with an estate planning attorney who wasn't a good fit. Often, by the time they realized it, it was too far into the process to change, so they just soldiered on.  Estate planning can feel...

As promised last week, here is the remainder of the article about new tax laws, numbers 8-15. Written by Patrick Horning, J.D., C.L.U., CRP for Northwest Mutual, which appeared on LinkedIn on 7/10/25. Hope this is helpful.   8. “Taxpayers taking the standard...

This article was brought to my attention recently when it appeared on LinkedIn. It was written by Patrick Horning, J.D., C.L.U, CFP, for Northwest Mutual and appeared July 10, 2025. Lots of good information, so much so that I’ve split it into two posts. I’ll post the...

Are you and your spouse, or partner, always in accord about how to spend money, where to go on vacation, or what to fix for dinner? Probably not. You are lucky if you are. As an estate planning attorney, I am sometimes confronted by a spouse or partner of someone who...

I was interested to see if this article includes "your outdated will" – it doesn't. But I'll add that to this list; as soon as you have an updated will, appropriately and legally signed, make sure to shred the old one to avoid any possible mix-ups. Paige...