When creating a special needs trust (SNT) for a loved one with a disability, the grantor (the person funding the trust) often serves as the first trustee. However, choosing a successor trustee is just as important. This person will manage the trust long-term and must act in the beneficiary’s best interest. Trusts usually operate on […]
Choosing a Special Needs Trustee Read More »
Getting a divorce is rarely easy. It can be emotional, stressful, and complex. The decisions you make during this process will affect your financial future, family relationships, and long-term plans. For younger couples, child custody and support may be the biggest concerns. For older couples, the focus often shifts to homes, retirement accounts, trusts, inherited
Ways a Divorce Affects Estate Planning Read More »
There are many situations in which equal division of assets among children is the obvious and right choice. Yet, in some families, each child receiving the same inheritance can be inappropriate, deplete the estate’s assets due to ensuing litigation, or cause other family issues after you are gone. While the answers depend on your family
Should Each Child Receive the Same Inheritance? Read More »
Protecting Loved Ones from Undue Influence As people age or face serious illness, they can become vulnerable to manipulation by those seeking to defraud or exploit them. When someone pressures or deceives an older person into changing their estate plan, attorneys call it “undue influence.” This is a serious form of elder abuse. Undue influence
Estate Planning and Undue Influence Over a Will-maker Read More »
If someone has chosen you to be the executor, or personal representative, of their estate, they felt that you would be a trustworthy person to carry out the tasks associated with handling their assets and affairs after their death. Even though the decedent nominated you to be their executor, you will still need to be
What is an Executor’s Role? Read More »