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 […]
I knew it was coming. The dreaded question: “Can I use a will-maker software program rather than have an attorney draft my estate plan?” My explanation of the risks and pitfalls does not always satisfy the friend or family member inquiring about why they cannot use the cheaper option for their extremely simple estate plan. […]
While most estate planning attorneys prefer that clients review their estate planning documents on an annual basis to ensure that all key information is kept up-to-date, it is evident that this is not always the case. Since more often than not clients have their estate plans drafted and then file the documents away, never to […]
It is essential to have your affairs in order to ensure that your property and family members are cared for after your death. Your estate plan is the blueprint for your wishes and directives for when you are unable to express such requests either due to incapacity or death. By creating an estate plan, you […]
A recent article in the New Yorker, Letting Go discusses various perspectives of those people who are affected by someone who is terminally ill. The author, Atul Gwande researched and followed patients ranging in age and illness, some of whom had chosen aggressive treatments for potentially terminal illnesses and others who chose hospice care. The […]
Many are often confused as to what is a Health Care Directive, how it works, when and where it can be used and what the benefits are to having a Health Care Directive in place. Some of this confusion can be contributed to the fact that various titles have been used over the years, as […]