In contrast to a last will and testament, a living will does not transfer assets and property after death. Instead, it is a mechanism to communicate to your family and doctors how you want medical care conducted when you aren’t able. Your living will is an essential part of an estate plan to help you […]
What You Need to Know About Special Needs Guardianships – Part 2
You must know the key responsibilities of a guardian, once you understand how guardianship can help a special needs adult. Guardian duties vary depending on the protected person’s limitations and abilities. However, some general responsibilities tend to fall to all guardians, including: Ensuring the protected person’s living situation is not only safe and appropriate but […]
What You Need to Know About Special Needs Guardianships – Part 1
It is particularly hard to protect and provide for children with special needs who require additional care to address their vulnerabilities. Structuring your estate plan to include the appropriate legal documents in the event of your death is crucial, especially when naming a guardian. Special needs children often require guardianship past the age of 18. […]
How to Handle the Death of a Family Member Without a Will
COVID-19 has made Americans more aware of the importance of having a will, a living will, and perhaps even a living trust. Still, this knowledge is not translating into estate planning action. No matter your age or asset level, having a will is beneficial. According to a recent survey, nearly 33 percent of Americans have […]
Avoid These Common Mistakes by Regularly Reviewing Your Estate Plan
Most Americans believe estate planning is a one-time task that, once completed, can be filed away until their deaths. However, without being aware of the potential impact, people will make gifts during their lifetime or change listed beneficiaries on accounts which can have enormous unintended consequences on their will or trust. Review your estate plan […]
Being a Financial Guardian for a Loved One
Banking and payment of bills can become more difficult with age, but incapacity by accident or illness can strike anyone at any age, posing the same challenges. Incapacity is not just about mental cognition, accident, or illness. You may have a loved one who cannot drive themselves to the bank or has a distinct visual […]
Special Needs Planning: What You Need To Know
Enabling the Disabled Families can carefully manage their money to meet disability rules while still providing perks to the disabled individual. Family money can be carefully managed to fit the disability-benefit rules and still provide additional perks for the disabled person to enjoy. And, though the rules can be strict, disabled people are still permitted […]
Contesting a Will: The Process
When a loved one dies with a will, it specifies who shall receive their property and who will be in charge of settling their estate (called the executor). For many reasons, beneficiaries can feel slighted by what they did or didn’t receive, and some individuals are entirely excluded from inheriting anything at all. The legal […]
A Guide to Taking Care of Your Aging Parents
The preparation necessary to provide care for an aging parent is crucial regardless of the circumstances. Whether you need basic information about eldercare resources and services, are looking for a local agency to provide those services, or have worries about legal documents or how to finance your parents’ care needs now or in the future, […]
How Important It Is to Have a Will
According to a Caring.com survey, the percentage of those with a will continues to decline, 33 percent in 2021 versus 42 percent in 2017. The COVID-19 pandemic sees one in three people understanding the greater need for a will, but 31 percent of those acknowledging the need, did nothing about it. Spikes in new cases […]