Losing a loved one is challenging enough without added complications. One way you can take some of the pain out of administering your estate is by preparing a death box, also called a death binder, next-of-kin box, or legacy folder. It serves as a centralized place to organize important information and documents...
Important Things Your Agent Under a Medical Power of Attorney Needs to Know in Madison, Wisconsin
Even if you are currently in good health, an unexpected illness or injury could leave you unable to make your own medical decisions. A medical power of attorney is a crucial component of your estate plan that allows you to designate a trusted individual (your agent) to make healthcare choices on your...
Why Title of Real Estate Matters in Madison, Wisconsin
Real estate can be owned in several different ways. The form of ownership, or how your property is titled, can determine how much control you have over it, how vulnerable your property is to creditor claims and lawsuits, and what will happen to it at your death.
Individual Ownership
How to Own Your Real Estate in Madison, Wisconsin
Your real estate encompasses not only your primary residence but also any vacation homes, rental properties, or even vacant land you may own. The ideal form of ownership varies depending on the type of property and your individual circumstances.
Your Primary Residence
How you own your...
Your Legacy in Living Color in Madison, Wisconsin
There is a famous scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy steps into the magical Land of Oz and is transported from a black-and-white world to a Technicolor one.
The phrase in living color originates from TV and film advertising in the mid-20th century, when black-and-white imagery was...
Celebrate Your Life Your Way: How to Make Funerals and Memorials Meaningful in Madison, Wisconsin
Many people have a childhood memory of somebody close to them passing away. Whether the deceased was a parent or grandparent, an aunt or uncle, or a family friend, it may have been their first real encounter facing grief or attending a funeral.
That experience may have left a...
The Hidden Gender Gap in Estate Planning—and How to Close It in Madison, Wisconsin
You have probably heard of the gender pay gap. But there is also another common disparity: the estate planning gender gap.
Although the two are interrelated to some extent—earning less than men puts women on an unequal path to investment and retirement savings, and women generally spend more than...
Ancillary Probate: When It Is Used, Where It Occurs, and How to Avoid It in Madison, Wisconsin
Many people own property in more than one state, such as an ocean-side vacation home or a rental property in a former home state. It is important to think about how that property will be handled after you pass away. Through proper estate planning, you can help minimize the burdensome court proceedings...
Does my Spouse’s Citizenship Affect my Estate in Madison, Wisconsin?
Noncitizen spouses are treated differently than US citizen spouses for estate and gift tax purposes.[1]
They do not get the unlimited marital deduction. Married US citizen spouses can generally transfer unlimited amounts of money between each other during life or upon death in various qualifying ways without...
What to Do When Your Doctor Tells You to Get Your Affairs in Order in Wisconsin
Five words no one ever wants to hear from their doctor are “Get your affairs in order.” Unfortunately, 76 percent of Americans do not have a will, and it often requires a chronic disease, terminal illness diagnosis, or other life-changing event to prompt people to start the estate planning process.[1]...