Almost every client I meet says to me, “well we’re very simple. We just want something simple and want something that should be easy.” I think that what most people mean when they say “we’re simple” is they don’t have much. They’re referring to the things they own - their assets. Something like, “We just have a house and a retirement account … [Read more...]
“But I Don’t Want To!” Why You Need to Talk to Your Kids About Your Estate Plan
In my last blog post, I wrote about why kids, usually adult children, need to talk to their parents about the parents’ estate plan. In this post, I want to talk about how parents need to talk to their children about their estate plan. Mostly, both sides need to have the discussion about an estate plan and it needs to start somewhere. I advised … [Read more...]
“But I Don’t Want To!” Why You Need to Talk to Your Parents About Their Estate Plan
We have all heard that you should never discuss politics or religion in polite company. Those topics are divisive enough that people avoid them at all costs. This is, unfortunately, also true in most families concerning money or an estate plan. Discussing money is simply taboo and not discussed. As people age, at least having a discussion … [Read more...]
Don’t Be Afraid of Your Estate Plan – Overcome Your Fears
Halloween has a fun component - children dressed in costumes, going door to door asking for candy. Halloween can also be considered a scary holiday, one which provides frightening experiences. Halloween decorations sometimes reflect these fears. Halloween decorations can be happy, like pumpkin lights, and happy ghost lights, but can also be … [Read more...]
Estate Planning for the Blended Family: Planning to Keep a New Spouse and All the Kids Happy
The 1970’s TV show “The Brady Bunch” depicts a blended family - a family where the spouses have remarried and kids are not all from just the married couple. The theme song goes like this: “Here's the story of a lovely lady, who was bringing up three very lovely girls. All of them had hair of gold, like their mother, the youngest one in … [Read more...]
Pet Trusts in Estate Planning: Caring for Your Furry Friends When You Are Gone
Anyone who has a pet knows the love and joy they bring into your life. I have pet dogs, and I love them. Other people have cats, horses, birds, or any other number of animals that they love. My dogs are always happy to see me when I come home, and make sure to greet me at the door. My newest puppy, Harper, will bite at my pant legs to let know … [Read more...]
Everything You Need To Know About Setting Up An Educational Trust For Your Grandchildren
My children went back to school in August, and are still adjusting almost a month later. My kids are more tired, and so they need to go to bed earlier. They are also not sure they really love being in school. The freedom of summer is gone, replaced by homework assignments, new classrooms, and all that goes along with starting school. They still … [Read more...]
Moving My Office – A New Kind of Mobile Estate Planning Adventure
I moved my office three weeks ago. I didn’t move far, just 20 - 25 feet down the hall to a different, bigger, office, but the move still was significant. One of the huge perks of the new office? I have windows! I can now see out into the world and know what is happening out there. There have been times in the past where I was working for … [Read more...]
Why Emergency Estate Planning is a Bad Idea
Among the reasons that I chose estate planning as a practice area is that there are fewer emergencies, so I can have more predictable work hours, and have less intrusions on the time that I spend with my family away from work. I like to see my family from time to time, like on the weekends, or in the evenings, so I don’t schedule many appointments … [Read more...]
The Danger of Unmet Expectations in Estate Planning
A couple of years ago, I heard someone talking about relationships. The speaker asked what the number one cause of divorce was. Answers like, “money,” or “lack of communication,” or “infidelity” all came up, but none was correct. Instead, the speaker replied that the number one cause of divorce was “unmet expectations.” The speaker went on to … [Read more...]
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