19 11, 2018

Avoiding a Nightmare of Adult Guardianship

2018-11-20T07:38:09-05:00November 19th, 2018|

“A ruthless determination to take elders from their homes and make them conform to a one-size-fits-all process by which their belongings can be sold, and their family and friends shut out — until eventually they are locked away in institutions [...]

15 11, 2018

Estate Planning in the Digital Age

2018-11-16T06:21:27-05:00November 15th, 2018|

What happens to my Facebook photos after I die? Can I pass on my iTunes music library to my children? Can my sister access my personal email account? At one point or another, questions like these have probably crossed your [...]

10 08, 2018

Estate Planning v. Life Care Planning: What’s the Difference?

2018-11-08T05:35:09-05:00August 10th, 2018|

Traditional estate planning is primarily designed to ensure that your belongings and assets pass in an orderly manner after your death, and that they reach the people you intend. That’s an important and admirable goal, but overlooks many critical issues. [...]

20 07, 2018

What Role Does a Letter of Instruction Play in Estate Planning?

2018-11-08T05:36:06-05:00July 20th, 2018|

Unlike a will, trust document, nomination of guardian, or advance healthcare directive, a letter of instruction is not a binding legal document. You may not see “letter of instruction” on an estate planning checklist, and you’re not required to provide [...]

4 07, 2018

What is “Stepped Up Basis” and How Does it Affect Estate Planning?

2018-11-08T05:36:57-05:00July 4th, 2018|

Phrases like “stepped up basis” tend to make the average person’s eyes glaze over. Everyone wants to maximize wealth and minimize expenses such as tax obligations. And, they want to avoid unnecessary tax burdens for their heirs. But, that doesn’t [...]

18 06, 2018

Estate Planning Documents to Review Before a Divorce

2018-11-08T05:37:27-05:00June 18th, 2018|

Many people neglect to update some or all of their estate planning documents when they divorce, while others move quickly to change beneficiaries and make other updates after a divorce. However, some estate planning changes are likely in order before [...]

14 05, 2018

Digital Estate Planning for the 21st Century

2018-05-28T08:56:26-04:00May 14th, 2018|

The need for digital estate planning is fairly new, but it’s a significant and growing issue. From ownership of digital assets to control of email and social media accounts, the modern estate administrator has a lot of work to do [...]

6 05, 2018

Estate Planning Under Trump’s New Tax Law

2018-05-27T17:05:06-04:00May 6th, 2018|

From an estate planning perspective, the highest-profile aspect of the new tax law is that the federal estate tax exemption has been doubled. The jump from $5.5 million to just over $11 million ($22 million for married couples) is significant, [...]

30 04, 2018

Will Your Cryptocurrency Die with You?

2018-05-27T17:04:40-04:00April 30th, 2018|

Cryptocurrency hasn’t exactly gone mainstream, but it’s no longer a rare, fringe holding. A recent survey revealed that nearly 8% of Americans own at least some Bitcoin or other form of cryptocurrency, and another 7.76% indicated that they planned to [...]