Buying a home is something of an adventure; if it weren’t, there wouldn’t be an entire network devoted to shows about house hunting. But adventures can go wrong quickly, and not every quest for a new home ends with the happy ending you see on TV. Here are some red flags you should look for […]
Will contests happen much more frequently in the movies than in real life, but when they do happen, they can cause great hostility and turmoil in a family, not to mention the expense of probate litigation that diminishes the assets in the estate. What is a “no-contest” clause in a last will and testament, how […]
Have you ever wondered, “How can I keep my estate plan private?” Probably not. But with the recent death of music legend Aretha Franklin, a revelation emerged: the Queen of Soul had no estate plan, not even a will. With multiple lawyers on retainer, and a life-threatening illness she had been fighting for years, it’s […]
So you’re the executor of an estate, most likely that of a loved one. In addition to working through your own grief, you’re now responsible for disposing of your loved one’s possessions and assets and settling any debts they owed. Some estates are small and straightforward, others large and complex, but even in the simplest […]
Your house may not be perfect, but it’s your home, and you love its little quirks. That is, until it’s time to sell it, and you realize that potential buyers may find those “quirks” problematic enough that they decide not to make an offer. Learn what you need to disclose when selling your house in […]
If you’re planning to get married, congratulations! There are a lot of decisions to make in the coming weeks and months: how you want to celebrate, whom to invite to your wedding, where to go on a honeymoon. In the midst of all these happy choices, you may not want to think about the possibility […]
If you are reading this article, it is likely that the question of whether to disinherit a child has been troubling you. Many considerations go into the question of whether you should disinherit your child. Perhaps your child has developed a drug or gambling problem, and you fear that leaving them money would simply feed […]
You know that divorce will affect your finances. You may be losing your spouse’s income, or have to pay child support or spousal support. Your living expenses might well consume a larger percentage of your household income. One question you may have forgotten to ask yourself, though, is “how will my divorce affect my credit?” […]
Often, when we ask clients what their goals for estate planning are, we hear, “I want to avoid probate.” Much of the time, this is a very reasonable goal. Probate, while simpler than it may have been in years past, is still a process that can take many months, or even longer. During that time […]
When you think of estate planning, you probably think of making plans for disposing of your property, and possibly of appointing a guardian for your children. Most people do tend to think of estate planning as something they do to make life easier for their family after they die. While that is certainly true, you […]
