Taking Care of Your Spouse After You Are GoneCompliments of Our Law Firm,Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning AttorneysFamily often ends up providing the bulk of care to those who suffer from incapacitating illnesses and injuries, with the AARP’s Public Policy Institute estimating that one in five family caregivers is a spouse. These spousal caregivers provide assistance with things like medical and nursing care, wound care and medication management. For example, there are … [Read more...]

The Ties that Bind: Grandparents and Grandchildren Compliments of Our Law Firm,Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning AttorneysThe memories made with grandchildren are some of the best. Still, it’s understandable to want to leave them with a bit more than great stories to someday pass down to their own grandchildren. Fortunately, there are many ways to accomplish this. The key is to ensure there’s no ambiguity in your will and other estate planning documents. Even better, … [Read more...]

Fair Does Not Always Mean Equal: Avoiding Conflict in Inheritances Compliments of Our Law Firm,Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning AttorneysLet’s face it, even in the closest-knit families, money and assets can still create problems. For example, resentment can show up when one sibling has seen greater financial and career success than his siblings and trying to “balance” that in your estate plan can cause further friction in the future. So what do you do when you’re … [Read more...]

Claiming More Than Marriage: Important Financial and Estate Planning for Same-Sex Marriages Compliments of Our Law Firm,Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning AttorneysIn the past, many same-sex couples never focused on estate planning or even financial planning because they felt it was moot. The ways around those impossible and unfair laws were successful for some couples, in some states, and in some instances. This meant many died intestate, or, without a will. There was a … [Read more...]

The Role of Legacy Planning Compliments of Our Law Firm,Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning AttorneysYou may have many fond childhood memories of lively family gatherings. And it was probably not unusual to hear older family members remark how happy they were when everyone gathered for those special meals and how proud they were to see their legacy living on in their loved ones. Think of legacy planning as an extension of that sentiment.Different from estate planning, … [Read more...]

A New Approach to Wealth Planning Compliments of Our Law Firm,Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning AttorneysEstate Planning is important for passing assets to the next generation. However, is that enough? For many, Legacy Wealth Planning is an important element of their overall Estate Planning efforts. If Estate Planning is the beginning, then Legacy Wealth Planning takes it to the next level: your holistic efforts of protecting and planning for future generations. Legacy … [Read more...]

Loaning Family Money – What You Need To KnowWritten By: The American Academy of Estate Planning AttorneysPeople lend money to family members for a variety of reasons. For example, lending your son money to buy his first home, or lending your daughter money to start a new business. At some point, you may find yourself in a similar situation. Therefore, it is important to know how this will impact you from a tax standpoint.Are you charging the borrower interest on the loan? If so, you must … [Read more...]

Compliments of Our Law Firm,Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning AttorneysAn effective estate plan is not just a stack of well-drafted documents, it’s an arrangement designed to take care of you and your family during the most challenging moments of your lives. It takes a team of advisors to pull together all the details to be sure that your plan is ready to spring into action when you need it. Most people need these core players on their team:Experienced Estate Planning … [Read more...]

Compliments of Our Law Firm,Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning AttorneysNew Year’s Day has come and gone, and April 15th looms in the not-too-distant future. While it’s true that many of the big tax planning decisions – like deferring income or bunching deductions – should be made before December 31st, there is still plenty you can do to save money and hassles this tax season. Here are a few simple suggestions: Get Organized. Don’t wait until April to begin gathering the … [Read more...]

Compliments of Our Law Firm,Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning AttorneysYou might not realize it, but you already have an estate plan. Even if you’ve  never created a Will, never set foot inside an estate planning attorney’s office, and never given estate planning a second thought.Here’s why: each state provides every citizen with a default estate plan. This estate plan comes in the form of intestacy law – a set of basic, one-size-fits-all rules for what happens to … [Read more...]