Creating a will is a responsible step to ensure your wishes are fulfilled after you pass away. Unfortunately, around 46% of U.S. adults still do not have a will in place. Unfortunately, even if you create a will, there are situations where someone in your family may...
Estate Planning
Should you name an alternate executor for your will?
When creating a will, you need to name an executor who will ensure your wishes are fulfilled. In addition to this, the executor handles other duties, from paying off debts to managing property before distribution. You can name one or more executors (co-executors)....
Is it time to update your estate plan?
An estate plan is a set of living documents. This means that – with virtually no exceptions unless you have created certain kinds of trusts – you can update your estate plan as frequently as the situation warrants. For example, you can update your advance healthcare...
Do you need a digital estate plan?
If you think that an estate plan is just a simple will, think again: These days, even a basic estate plan needs a will, advance directives and powers of attorney designations, and many ordinary people are exploring things like living trusts, Medicaid planning and...
How can undue influence affect an estate plan?
Undue influence is one of the few valid grounds on which a court will accept a challenge to a deceased person’s estate plan. It means that one person used their position to exert influence to get someone to change their estate plan in their favor. When might people...
It’s important to deal with a deceased loved one’s debt correctly
If you’ve been named the executor (sometimes known as administrator or personal representative) of a loved one’s or friend’s estate, one of the first things you need to do after they pass away is to determine what debts they left. Certainly, this needs to be done...
What married couples should know about joint and reciprocal wills
If you and your spouse have been married for decades and fully intend to remain together for the rest of your lives, you may think the easiest way to handle your estate plan is with a joint will. A true joint will for a married couple is one document signed by both...
Estate planning for unmarried couples
Many couples remain lifelong partners without ever getting married. While you may not feel like you need a marriage certificate, if you want to ensure that you and your partner provide for each other after one of you passes away, you need to put an estate plan in...
The most common reasons for will contests
One of the key components of an estate plan is a will. Through this document, inheritances can be passed on to cherished family members, gifts can be given to charity and guardians can even be named for minor children. For a will to be valid, certain protocols have to...
3 things to leave out of your will
Your will is an important part of a bigger estate plan. It allows you to designate who gets what when you die and name someone as a guardian for your minor children. However, a will isn’t for everything. This document has limits, and some things should be left out....
