In life in general, when you hear about mistakes that have been made by others, you learn valuable lessons about “what not to do.” Within the realm of estate planning, there are a number of constructive tales that revolve around estate planning errors that were made by rich, famous people.This type of situation has unfolded since the death of the legendary “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin. She passed away as a result of pancreatic cancer in August of 2018 at the age of 76. It has been … [Read more...]
Joint Bank Accounts: Worth the Gamble?
You can cross your fingers and hope for the best while taking some estate planning steps that are questionable. But you have to ask yourself if it is really worth the gamble -- one of the these questionable steps is joint bank accounts with children.It took a lot of time and effort to accumulate the resources that comprise your estate and you would probably do well to make a small investment into a properly constructed estate plan rather than seeking out do-it-yourself alternatives.There … [Read more...]
Living Trust Questions Answered
A lot of people who have not probed into the subject of a living trust reduce the process of estate planning to the creation of a last will. In fact, there are other asset transfer vehicles that can be preferable when certain circumstances exist. Plus, a well-constructed estate plan will address end-of-life issues.The estate planning device that is the best choice for many people is the revocable living trust. In this post, we will provide an overview in the form of a hypothetical question … [Read more...]
Estate Planning for Young Families
They say that the only two certainties in life are death and taxes, and most people are fully prepared when April 15th rolls around. However, when it comes to the other one, statistics tell a surprising tale. The majority of American adults have no estate planning documents in place, and as you might imagine, a small percentage of younger people have executed estate plans.For a single young adult with no children and limited resources, this is somewhat understandable. However, someone in … [Read more...]
A Spendthrift Trust Can Provide a Solution
You are not alone if you are a financially successful person with a spendthrift in the family, and this can present a significant estate planning challenge. On the one hand, the person in question has often come to you for financial assistance. You are always willing to help, but you will not be around forever.If you leave a direct inheritance to this family member who is not good with money, the family member may burn through it very quickly. Going forward, there would be nowhere to turn … [Read more...]
What Is a Stretch IRA?
There are some helpful strategies you can choose during the estate planning process that many people never think about. This is one of the major reasons why you should develop a relationship with a licensed attorney that can explain your options to you. Personalized attention is key, and that’s exactly what you get when you work with our firm. With that in mind, we will look at the stretch IRA, an opportunity you may be able to take advantage of if you have an individual retirement account … [Read more...]
A Look at Four Different Types of Wills
A lot of people are under the impression that estate planning revolves around the creation of a last will. In reality, there are a multitude of different legal devices in the estate planning toolkit. Plus, this comes as a surprise to many people, but there are multiple types of wills. We will look at four different wills in this blog post to provide some insight. Last Wills Of course, the most commonly utilized estate planning document is the last will or last will and testament. You can state … [Read more...]
A Probate Attorney Can Provide Assistance
The last will is the most commonly utilized vehicle of asset transfer in the field of estate planning. That being stated, many people have misconceptions about the administration process when a will is used. They envision a solemn meeting taking place after the funeral that centers around the “reading of the will” and the imminent distribution of assets. In reality, things are handled much differently.Your estate would be probated if you use a last will as the centerpiece of your estate … [Read more...]
Why You Need A Probate Lawyer
When you are planning your estate you would do well to engage the services of a local northern Kentucky probate lawyer. Though you have alternatives, such as a revocable living trust, if you use a last will as your primary vehicle to transfer assets, your estate must pass through the legal process of probate. So when your will is being constructed, it should be done with the expectations of the local probate court in mind.This is something to consider when you see websites claiming that it … [Read more...]
What Protections are Available for the Healthy Spouses of Medicaid Recipients?
If you are a community spouse for purposes of Medicaid, then you may be entitled to certain protections when your spouse becomes a nursing home resident so discuss your options with our Florence Medicaid lawyer.A community spouse is the healthy spouse of a Medicaid recipient who still lives at home while the recipient is in a nursing home. In light of the income and asset limitations imposed by Medicaid, there are some protections in place for the community spouse who remains in the home, … [Read more...]
