Estate Planning & Probate

Drafting a will is arguably one of the most important things a person can do. However, some studies suggest that over half of American adults have not done so. There are numerous reasons why individuals may be hesitant about developing an estate plan. Outlined below...

You would think that the tragedy of losing a family member would strengthen the bonds of those who survive with one another. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Some families end up torn apart by the probate process when someone dies.  Conflict can arise for...

Many adults have financial accounts that they want to pass down to their loved ones. You may assume that this will be complicated, but it isn’t. Most people get these accounts into the hands of their loved ones through the use of a Totten trust.  While it’s called a...

If you only have one child, leaving them the house and everything else you own is simple. If you have more than one child, things get complicated. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind as you proceed with your estate plans: Estate planning requires you to...

Your personal wealth includes all of your property and assets, while your financial obligations or liabilities include your debt and recurring bills. Many people put a lot of consideration into what happens to their property when they die but very little thought about...

Your parents built up their estate over the course of their lifetime. They want their assets to secure the future of their friends and family. They made all the preparations for their estate’s distribution.  When the time finally comes for the reading of the will,...

When a loved one passes away and has an estate plan, they’ve taken the time to dictate who should get what. Most wills are handled without any issues and everyone gets what the decedent wanted them to have.  Unfortunately, there are some cases in which the will isn’t...

Have you done your estate planning yet? If not, you may be thinking about the importance of doing it in the future. This puts you in fairly good company. Most people in the United States have also not done their estate planning, even though they do know that it is...

When you grow up on a family-owned farm, you learn to live in sync with the hours of the day and the seasons of the year. Depending on what you raise or grow, you count on annual harvests that will either make or break the family’s fortune for that year. When you have...

When someone plans their estate, they probably hope to keep their assets out of probate court. However, there may be situations in which you as a beneficiary need to involve the probate courts to uphold the wishes of a deceased individual. Estate administration is,...