When it comes to estate planning, a number of critical forms make sure professionals carry out your wishes at different stages. These forms include beneficiary designations, wills, trusts, advanced directives and others. A do not resuscitate order lets medical...
Estate Planning
How do you preserve your family’s money?
After working hard for your money, you want to make sure that it stays within your family for your loved ones after you pass. When you create an estate plan, you have to make sure your money goes to the people that you want it to go to. According to the U.S. News,...
When probate is not necessary
Probate is the process of determining the validity of the will and distributing assets after the decedent's death. Even with fairly simple estates, the probate process can take months, while more complex estates can take longer than a year. There are certain...
What duties does an executor manage?
When dealing with an estate plan, one of the most important figures to assign is the executor. They will handle almost every major point of the plan and post-mortem affairs. But what exact duties do executors deal with? And what sort of person serves as the best fit...
When to have a prenuptial agreement
A prenuptial agreement may not be a topic that newly engaged couples want to discuss, but it is important. Many people think that prenups are only necessary if someone has a lot of money or is a business owner, but that is not necessarily the case: Prenup agreements...
How to choose a guardian for your minor children
If you have children under the age of 18 and you have not named a guardian for them in the event both you and your partner die, it is time to update your estate plan. A guardian is the person who will have custody and manage each child's property. Choosing this person...
How often should you update your estate plan?
Most people assume that once they create their estate plan, they can set it and forget it. Not only is this not the case but also, “forgetting about” your estate plan can have adverse and costly consequences. New laws, life events, the accumulation or loss of wealth...
What documents should you have as a part of your estate plan?
While having an estate plan is the first step in the right direction when planning how you want to distribute your assets after you die, you cannot leave the estate plan once you finish it. According to the U.S. News, you must review your estate plans regularly. Once...
The importance of the executor during probate
If you lost a loved one, you are probably wondering what the next steps are. Probate is the legal process that take place to ultimately transfer assets and close the estate. Probate consists of many steps and is not a short process in most situations. The executor...
How to involve your agent in your advance directive decisions
If you want to have a say in what medical treatments you receive in the event you are in an incapacitated state, you should prepare an advance directive. This legal document outlines procedures and treatments you want or want to avoid. You can also name an agent as...

