Check out our blog posts for Estate Planning tips, resources, and recent developments
5 Ways DIY Estate Plans Can Fail & Leave Your Family At Risk - Part 1
From LegalZoom® and Rocket Lawyer® to TrustandWill.com and FreeWill.com, these DIY legal documents may seem like a cheap and easy way to finally cross estate planning off your to-do list—and do so without having to pay a lawyer big bucks to assist you. After all, you’ve been able to prepare and file your taxes online for years, is estate planning really that much different?
4 Essential Strategies For Protecting Your Family's Assets
You might think that only the super wealthy need to worry about asset protection planning. But the truth is that if you don’t have millions, you may be at even greater risk. And asset protection planning isn’t something you can put off until something happens; to be effective, you must have your asset protection strategies in place well before something happens.
5 Common Estate Planning Concerns For Your Second (Or More) Marriage
With divorce occurring in roughly 50% of all marriages in the U.S. and life expectancy increasing every day, second—and even third—marriages are becoming quite common. Blended families present a number of particularly challenging legal and financial issues from an estate planning perspective.
What You Need to Know About Collecting Life Insurance Proceeds
If you're looking to collect life insurance proceeds as the policy’s beneficiary, the process is fairly simple. However, during the emotional period immediately following a loved one’s death, it can feel as if your entire world is falling apart, so it’s helpful to understand exactly what steps you need to take to access the insurance funds as quickly and easily as possible.
What Your “Last Will & Testament” Will (and Will Not) Do—Part 2
August is “National Make-A-Will Month,” and if you have already prepared your will, congratulations—too few Americans have taken this key first step in the estate planning process.
What Your “Last Will & Testament” Will (and Will Not) Do - Part 1
August is “National Make-A-Will Month,” and if you have already prepared your will, congratulations—too few Americans have taken this key first step in the estate planning process.
Estate Planning Checkup: Is Your Estate Plan Up-to-Date?
While you almost surely understand the importance of creating an estate plan, you may not know that keeping your plan current is every bit as important as creating a plan to begin with.
Revocable Living Trust Or Irrevocable Trust: Which One Is Right For You?
You’ve probably heard you need a trust to keep your family out of court and maybe out of conflict in the event of your death or incapacity. But you may need clarification about whether you need a revocable living or irrevocable trust. More and more, we are seeing people come our way asking for a irrevocable trust, and so this article is designed to help you learn the difference and then get into an “eyes wide open” conversation about the right kind of trust for you and your loved ones.
Married in Massachusetts? A Joint Revocable Living Trust May Be Your Best Option
When younger clients are juggling multiple RLTs, realty trusts, and ILITs with no idea why, it’s often a sign that they have a cookie cutter estate plan that doesn’t serve them. In my experience, an overly complicated estate plan can result in a failure to fund properly, and can create a probate time bomb that families won’t even learn about until it’s too late.
Estate Planning FAQs For LGBTQIA+ Couples
As we are about to kick off Pride Month celebrations, it is critical that we remember that the LGBTQIA+ community faces an increasingly uncertain legal landscape. Here are some of the most frequent questions we receive from this community.
Why Putting Your Family Home in a Trust is a Smart Move - Part 2
If you are like many homeowners, your home is likely your family’s most valuable and treasured asset. In light of this, you want to plan wisely to ensure your home will pass to your heirs in the most efficient and safe manner possible when you die or in the event you become incapacitated by illness or injury.
Why Putting Your Family Home in a Trust is a Smart Move - Part 1
If you are like many homeowners, your home is likely your family’s most valuable and treasured asset. In light of this, you want to plan wisely to ensure your home will pass to your heirs in the most efficient and safe manner possible when you die or in the event you become incapacitated by illness or injury.
Estate Planning For a Child With Special Needs: Three Tools You Need to Know
As a parent of a child with special needs, legal planning can seem overwhelming. The good news is that there are a number of estate planning tools available to help you protect your child's interests and provide for their needs, both now and in the future.
Estate Planning: A Gift of Peace and Power for Every Mother
Here’s a Mother's Day gift that keeps on giving: the peace of mind and power that comes with thoughtful estate planning. Estate planning helps you protect yourself, your children and your financial stability so you’re prepared for anything. That’s the best gift a mom can get.
The Dark Side of the Internet: Protect Yourself From Online Scams and Digital Attacks
Sadly, online scams and digital attacks are becoming more common. You can use these 7 practical steps to secure your online data. It’s never been more important than it is now.
What Happens To Your Social Media Accounts?
Ever wondered what happens to your social media accounts after you pass away? Each social media platform has its own rules, so understanding these options is essential for managing your digital accounts responsibly.
Why Estate Planning Is the Best Use of Your Tax Refund
So you got a tax refund this year. Hooray! While you may be tempted to spend it on a vacation, or put it away for a rainy day, there’s an even better way to put that refund to work for you: estate planning.
Navigating the World of Cryptocurrency: A Guide for Parents and Teens
In an era where digital innovation shapes every aspect of our lives, it's no surprise that our teenagers are drawn to the allure of cryptocurrency. But before they venture into these waters, parents should be prepared to help them navigate this new world.
How DIY Wills and Trusts Offer a False Sense of Security … and May Leave Your Family With an Expensive Mess
Do-it-yourself Wills and Trusts are all over the internet, with promises of saving you money and protecting your loved ones after you’re gone. But don’t be fooled! They’re often way more trouble than they’re worth.
Parents, Step-parents & Children … Unique Dynamics of Blended Families
A close look at a real-life cautionary tale about what can happen in any blended family when the parents leave decisions about their children’s care and inheritance up to their surviving spouse and the state’s laws.