Almost all of my non-lawyer friends give me a funny look when I talk about probate. Yes, it is an odd word, but with a short explanation, it makes sense. I find that the basics can be easily explained in one sentence – Probate occurs when someone dies and a court gives someone else (the […]
When I flip through Entertainment Weekly, I don’t typically see any topics related to estate planning. However, in this past week’s edition, a very short write-up on a new television series caught my eye: The Will: Family Secrets Revealed?! The cable channel, Investigation Discovery, is premiering this eight-week series beginning today, Wednesday, November 3rd at 8pm (CST). […]
So often clients come to us for help with an estate plan, convinced that a living trust is necessary because they have heard that it is the ideal tool to assure avoidance of a ‘dreaded’ probate proceeding. Many believe that probate is expensive, time-consuming and overwhelming. Therefore, a living trust, coupled with a pour-over will, […]
ALERT: Life insurance proceeds may be included in a decedent’s gross estate for estate tax purposes. The Impact of Life Insurance Many people underestimate the total value of their estate. People assume that they do not have enough assets to worry about estate tax planning. However, most do not realize how their life insurance factors […]