A home is often one of the most important assets that people own. Therefore, most people want to stay in their home until they die and then have a loved one receive it. One common way to pass a home to loved ones is through a will. However, transferring property with a...
Category: Trusts
Wills, Trusts, and Dying Intestate: How They Differ
Most people understand that having an estate plan benefits them and their loved ones. However, many individuals do not initiate the estate planning process because they do not fully understand the nuances of foundational estate planning tools such as a will and a trust and the full implications of dying without either...
Michael Jackson’s Estate Sells Music to Sony for $600M
Michael Jackson passed away in 2009, but the settling of his estate continues more than 15 years after his death due to a lingering tax dispute with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other legal challenges, including a lawsuit brought by his mother over a deal to sell part of his music...
Enriching Life with a Third-Party Special Needs Trust
A special needs trust (SNT) allows an individual to provide for a disabled beneficiary without jeopardizing the beneficiary’s eligibility for needs-based government benefits.
SNT funds can generally be used to pay for almost anything that falls outside the basic support that programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and...
How to Choose the Initial Trustee of Your Trust
When you establish a trust, you nominate someone to be the trustee. If you are creating a revocable living trust, you will likely be the initial trustee. You will also want to name successors or backup trustees to step in and manage the trust’s affairs if you can no longer manage the...
Who Should Be Your Successor Trustee?
If you have a revocable living trust, you probably named yourself as the initial trustee so that you can continue to manage your financial affairs. However, someone else will eventually need to step in to administer your trust when you are no longer able to act due to incapacity (the inability to...
Incapacity Planning and Pets
Few US adults have an estate plan. Even fewer have included a pet in their plan. Perhaps you have an estate plan that addresses who will take your pet when you die. But does it address the possibility of your incapacity and the need for a temporary pet caretaker?
Will My Revocable Living Trust Avoid Probate? It Depends.
If you have established a revocable living trust (which we will refer to simply as a trust), congratulations! You are on the right track in creating a comprehensive estate plan. However, you are only halfway there. Many people believe that because they took the time to create a trust, their estate will...
A Trust for Fluffy or Fido?: Why Every Pet Parent Needs to Consider a Pet Trust Today
Estate planning is about protecting what is important to you. Although much of the traditional estate planning conversation focuses on surviving spouses, children, grandchildren, and charities, many pet parents wonder what could happen to their “furry children” after their death.
Enter the pet trust. This tool is something that...
Can Someone Else Pay for My Estate Plan?
Estate planning is not just for the wealthy. Every adult should have an estate plan, yet surprisingly, most Americans do not. The perceived cost of creating one is among the most cited reasons for a lack of estate planning.
The consequences of not having an estate plan can become...