Once you decided it was finally time to stop putting off estate planning, you faced many considerations. For example, you had to determine what documents to include, how to address possible probate issues and whom to choose as an executor for your estate. You probably...
Drafting a living will – also known as an advance healthcare directive – is a crucial step in helping to ensure that your medical wishes are respected and honored if you are unable to communicate them due to incapacity caused by illness or injury. A living will can...
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...
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)....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
