When a spouse or parent passes away, the surviving spouse or children often worry about what will be left to them. This concern is not necessarily driven by greed but rather by the unknown of what will happen next. Are we going to be kicked out of the house? Will I be able to keep […]
I am not a control freak, I swear. And while I currently have a color-coded calendar, may have an embarrassing history with coordinating pens and notebooks based on subject matter, and relished spending a recent weekend with 32 new organizational bins, I fully realize that not everyone operates this way. I do believe, however, a […]
This is the first in a three part series on pre-planning for your death. This series is written by Jill Sauber, a current law student and licensed mortician. People often segue into talking about their own mortality or death by saying, “if something happens to me.” As though stating it in terms of “maybe” […]
May 25, 1926 – September 28, 1991 Born Miles Dewey Davis in Alton, IL, Davis was a famous jazz musician for nearly fifty years. In 1944, Davis sat in on trumpet with a band that included two other famous musicians – Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.1 Following that experience, at age 18, he enrolled in […]
Some clients know how important the Power of Attorney document is. They may have acted as attorney-in-fact for a spouse or an elderly relative. Or they may have experienced first hand the challenges created when someone hasn’t executed a valid Power of Attorney. The Power of Attorney (aka POA) names an attorney-in-fact to make financial […]
A reverse mortgage is when the owner of the home withdraws equity from the home and receives cash either as a lump sum, installment payments, line of credit or combination thereof. Reverse mortgages seem to give pause to most people. However, the negative reaction is most likely due to the lack of information regarding reverse […]
I often get the question, “should our guardians and trustees be the same people?” I always give the same answer, “I cannot answer that for you because I do not know the people in your lives, but I can give you some things to consider.”
Do you live in the moment or are you always waiting for tomorrow? Do you look forward to the future with excitement or fear? How do you Live? “According to two doctors (Rowe and Kahn) who co-authored “Successful Aging,” our genetic makeup only accounts for 30% of our ability to achieve longevity. The remaining […]
August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997 Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje in the Balkans. Mother Teresa pursued her life as a missionary at the age of 18 when she entered into the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was in 1937 that Mother Teresa, then Sister Teresa, “…made her […]
PART VII: WRAPPING UP “The song is ended (but the melody plays on). “ ~Irving Berlin (composer) & Beda Loehner (lyricist) All good things must come to an end. Hopefully this series has succeeded in helping both artists and their attorneys understand the unique complexities that are often involved in an artist’s estate plan. As […]
August 29, 1915 – August 29, 1982 Today is one of those rare occasions when it is the anniversary of someone’s death but also the anniversary of their day of birth. It is has been 30 years since Ingrid Bergman passed away on her 67th birthday. Ingrid Bergman was an international film star whose acting […]