On CBS Sunday Morning this past Sunday, the whole program was dedicated to life and death. One particular story that stood out was on La Crosse, WI. In La Crosse, WI, “…96 percent of the people who passed away here had created advance directives. That’s the highest percentage of end-of-life planning in a nation where […]
Over half of the population will require long-term care at some point in their lives. Paying for long-term care is a topic that many people avoid addressing until the last minute; however, due to the rising costs of skilled nursing care it should really be addressed sooner rather than later. In Minnesota the average daily […]
I emphasize to all of my estate planning clients the importance of keeping track of your assets, what they are, where they are located, etc. The reason: a Will or Trust instructs your Personal Representative or Trustee on how you want your assets to be distributed after your death, but not always what those assets […]
In the past few weeks, there have been two stories that have caught our attention regarding the issue of incapacity and the need for advanced health care directives. The first news story unfortunately involved a minor child, who had been declared brain-dead by her doctors following complications from tonsil surgery. Her parents however wished to […]
If you have a young adult child coming home for the holidays, the Thanksgiving table might serve as a good opportunity to talk with them about estate planning. While most young adults do not own property or have children that may necessitate a Will, two major estate planning documents are often overlooked by young people […]
This statement (turned inquiry) may or may not be true. It depends on a variety of factors and client goals. Deciding whether to use a will or a revocable trust (a.k.a. living trust or revocable living trust) as one’s primary estate planning document is a question to be discussed with an estate planning attorney. The […]
In a previous post I spelled out the basics of the changes made to Minnesota’s Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney that will take effect January 1, 2014. As I mentioned, many of these changes were made to address the potential for abuse. Indeed, a Power of Attorney document gives broad and sweeping powers to […]
Minnesota’s legislators have been busy working up new and exciting changes to Minnesota’s estate planning landscape. Perhaps less controversial and less exciting, (and, some would argue, more concrete) than the new Minnesota Gift Tax, this article will summarize some of the changes made to the Minnesota Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney document. With its […]
I recently came across this TED Talk by Judy MacDonald Johnston and thought she did such a great job starting the discussion on end-of-life planning that I had to share it with our readers. The video is worth watching (it is a short 6 minutes) and should be shared with any loved ones who are unwilling […]
The question of what happens to a person’s digital property after death is a hot topic these days. Many online service providers are currently grappling with this issue, including Facebook, Google, Yahoo, and the list goes on.
Many of us come across the thought of organ donation for the first time when we apply for a driver’s license. Usually at that young age, it is a topic difficult to consider and oftentimes disregarded. As we age we begin to consider the opportunity each one of us has to save another’s life with […]