There are numerous estate planning instruments that all carry out various tasks. One of the most fundamental aspects of any estate plan is the will. This is a document that provides instructions for how your assets are to be divided upon your death. As well as having...
When someone in your family dies, it is a difficult time. You want to spend time grieving and remembering your loved one, but there are important affairs to attend to. If you find their estate plan and discover changes were made you were unaware of, you may wonder if...
One of the people you’ll need to name in your estate plan is a health care power of attorney. Some refer to them as health care agents. This person will speak on your behalf if you cannot express your wishes about medical treatment due to incapacity caused by severe...
California, like the other states, has its unique estate planning laws. When a loved one dies, their estate will be wound up and distributed according to their wishes or California intestacy laws. But what happens if they had properties in multiple states? Well, this...
Designating someone to have power of attorney (POA) over your health care is an important aspect of estate planning – even though it involves a time when you’re still alive, although unable to speak for yourself. This can happen at any age – often due to an injury or...
Incentive trusts are a trust with conditions. You can use them to incentivize a potential beneficiary to act in a certain way. You can set out particular rules when you create the trust. Then, once you die, it falls to the person managing the trust to check if the...
Thinking about what should happen to your estate after you pass away can feel morbid and is a task no one wants to undertake. A better way of thinking is that good estate planning is all about being prepared for the future – especially when it comes to choosing a...
Many adult children feel a bit uncomfortable asking their parents about their estate plans. For one thing, it deals with money, and some people are just never comfortable talking about financial issues. For another, these adult children may feel like asking questions...
If you’re a young parent or if you have a child with special needs, part of your estate plan likely includes setting up guardianship. It may never be used, but you want to know that there’s a guardian in place if they’re needed. This person can take care of your child...
When you turn 18, you are legally allowed to make an estate plan. You’re an adult in the eyes of the law and you can begin putting that plan in place. However, if you ask most 18-year-olds if they have an estate plan, they’re going to tell you that they haven’t even...