When a new year rolls around, people often resolve to take care of certain responsibilities that they have been putting on the back burner. With this in mind, we urge you to schedule an estate plan review in 2021 if you have not looked at your plan in years. There are a number of different reasons why revisions can be necessary, and we will look at some of them in this post. Changes to Relevant Laws Your original estate plan is based on a snapshot of the circumstances that existed at the … [Read more...] about New Year’s Resolution: Schedule an Estate Plan Review
Wills
Pour Thanksgiving Gratitude Into Your Legacy Plan
Holidays trigger many different emotions, and Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude. You have received gifts of various kinds throughout your life, and in a real sense, you pay your gratitude forward when you plan your estate. This is something to think about if you don’t have a plan. If you are unprepared, you are not alone. Caring.com conducts annual surveys that focus on the estate planning preparedness of American adults, and the results are not encouraging. In 2017, 42 percent of … [Read more...] about Pour Thanksgiving Gratitude Into Your Legacy Plan
Estate Planning 101
Every person has their unique estate planning DNA. There is no cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all estate plan. Every situation is different. Where people are starting in the process, where they want to go and issues that stand in the way are all different for each of us. There is no 'one size fits all' solutions. This is why you should discuss the possibilities with an experienced estate planning lawyer. At the same time, there is a certain framework that applies to everyone, and we will … [Read more...] about Estate Planning 101
Estate Planning for Young Adults
The popular website Caring.com has been conducting surveys over recent years to gauge the estate planning preparedness of American adults. They are finding that fewer and fewer people have estate plans in place. According to their 2020 results, 32 percent of people in the United States have a will or a trust. In 2017, the number was 42 percent, so this is a significant decrease. As you might imagine, the unpreparedness is greater among lower age groups. Just over 16 percent of people … [Read more...] about Estate Planning for Young Adults
Estate Planning is Too Important to Procrastinate
Only 44% of Americans have even a simple Will. We procrastinate for several reasons. Learn those reasons and how to push past them. Learn, briefly, why planning is important. Estate Planning is Too Important to Procrastinate … [Read more...] about Estate Planning is Too Important to Procrastinate
Basics of Estate Planning: Privacy and Estate Planning
Privacy is important, especially in today’s world. Learn how estate planning can enhance or reduce your privacy. Click on the title below to read on to find out more.Basics of Estate Planning: Privacy and Estate Planning … [Read more...] about Basics of Estate Planning: Privacy and Estate Planning
The Supreme Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Ruling and Your Estate Plan
The recent Supreme Court ruling in Obergfell v Hodges allowed for same-sex couples around the country to enter into legally recognized marriages. The ruling is a landmark decision, and one with significant practical implications for anyone in an LGBTQ relationship living in Oklahoma, Kansas or Missouri. Prior to this decision, a patchwork of state laws addressed the same-sex marriage issue, but now the legal basis for LGBTQ marriage rights has been leveled across the country. Here is what you … [Read more...] about The Supreme Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Ruling and Your Estate Plan