Blog - Michael Bailey Law, LLC

How My Lifelong Church Service Crosses Paths With Estate Planning

I have been a lifelong member of my church. I was baptized as a member of my church at 8 years old, the age that most people are baptized who grew up in the church. At the age of 12 I received the responsibility and opportunity to serve more in the church. At that age, young men are given responsibilities to serve and a small portion of … [Read more...]

What You Need to Know About Planning Your Funeral and Your Estate Plan in Colorado

Years ago, I had a potential client call me in a panic. Apparently their uncle had written instruction into the uncle’s will that upon the uncle’s death, he wanted to be cremated and have his ashes scattered on the grounds of the Denver Botanic Gardens. The problem was that the Denver Botanic Gardens do not allow ashes to be scattered on the … [Read more...]

What Are More of The Silliest Things People Do to Mess Up Their Estate Plans?

There are a lot of ways to do estate planning wrong, and more than one way to do it right. But, there are certainly more ways to make mistakes in an estate plan, and some of the mistakes I have seen have been downright silly. In a previous blog post, I wrote about people who wait too long to start an estate plan. In this blog post, I am going to … [Read more...]

What Are The Silliest Things People Do to Mess Up Their Estate Plans?

There are a lot of ways to do estate planning wrong, and more than one way to do it right. But, there are certainly more ways to make mistakes in an estate plan, and some of the mistakes I have seen have been downright silly. I have seen people who wait too long to start an estate plan, so it cannot be completed, or others who wait too long to … [Read more...]

Take Your Child to Work Day – And Why It Benefits You

A couple of weeks ago, my son’s school had their annual “Take Your Child to Work” day. On this day, children are encouraged to not attend a day of school, but rather go with a parent to the parent’s place of work. I believe the idea is to get the school aged children to understand what a work day looks like and to understand a bit more about how … [Read more...]

If I Have a Will, Does That Mean My Family Avoids Probate?

The short answer to this question is NO! A will does not avoid probate. Probate is actually the legal process designed to implement wills and get the assets of the deceased person to the named beneficiaries. The probate process is exactly how a will is supposed to be proved, carried out, and administered. However, having a will does help with … [Read more...]

If I Add My Child to My Bank Account, Does That Solve Estate Planning?

Although this question requires a more involved answer, which I will discuss below, the simplest answer takes just one word: NO! Adding a child to a bank account can be part of the solution to estate planning, but it isn’t the only step you should take. Adding a child to a bank account as a co-owner solves one problem: who gets the remaining … [Read more...]

Why My Office Has A Wait And Why That’s Not A Bad Thing For You

The short answer to this question is, I am not sure. People sometimes tell me why they are willing to wait 10 to 12 weeks to meet with me and get started on their estate plans, but not everyone does so. I do have a few ideas based on what some people tell me. I am certainly thankful and grateful people are willing to wait the necessary time to … [Read more...]

What’s Your Yearly Fee For Creating An Estate Plan?

I get asked this question all the time. I can tell people have either been talking to other attorneys, or read about yearly maintenance fees charged for estate plans on the internet, so I understand where the question comes from. Let me be clear: I do not charge yearly fees or yearly maintenance fees. I know that other attorneys charge … [Read more...]

Can My Attorney Write An Estate Plan For Someone Living In Another State?

I don’t get asked this exact question all the time, but I do get different versions like: “Can you write a will for my parents? They live in Wyoming.” or “Can you write a trust for my mother who lives in California?” Often those asking the questions are clients of mine, who have relatives that live out of state. The clients are happy with what I … [Read more...]