Estate Planning

After building a life together, many couples are under the assumption that a joint estate plan is sufficient to protect their shared future. In most cases, creating separate plans can better serve each spouse’s unique needs and wishes. Estate planning laws allow for...

Estate planning is often associated with retirees and married couples with children. But the truth is, everyone, regardless of age or marital status, needs an estate plan. What makes a comprehensive estate plan? A well-crafted estate plan typically includes: Will:...

If you have a specific goal in mind for the inheritance that you are leaving to the next generation, you may want to use a trust. For instance, maybe a new grandchild was just born. You know how important it is for that child to get an education, but it may be very...

Many people think they should keep their estate plan a secret. They fear disclosing the details of it could cause people to behave differently, or give rise to gossip or provide business competitors with juicy details to feast on. There is usually no need to share too...

You might think that most American adults have already made their will. Sadly, you’d be wrong. The latest survey from Caring.com shows that the percentage of U.S. adults with a plan is worryingly low. What’s more, it is dropping. Less than half of adults over 55 have...

Death is inevitable – but nobody likes to think about it. So, what happens if you don’t? Roughly 67% of people in the United States don’t have an estate plan and are at risk of dying intestate. What’s the harm in that? When you die intestate, the state takes charge of...

The most important document that you will likely mainly focus on as you draft your estate plan is your will. Your will documents your last wishes for who should handle your assets after you pass away and who should benefit from your estate. Despite being so important,...

Many estate disputes revolve around high-value items. The beneficiaries involved are debating how that value should be transferred to the next generation and split between them. For instance, a parent could leave a family home behind. If there are no instructions for...

You may have read estate planning advice to remember to include all your assets in your will. And that forgetting something could lead to confusion about who you want to get it. While this is generally true, there is one category of asset you should leave out of your...

A trust is one of the most important estate planning resources that you can establish. When done right, a trust can offer a variety of benefits such as reducing your estate taxes, saving time, safeguarding your privacy and ensuring that your assets go to the right...