A heath care directive is a legal document that lets you express your health care preferences and, if you wish, designate authority to someone to make care decisions for you, if you cannot make them yourself.
An estate plan tells your heirs and the courts how to divide up your assets, but it also helps protect your loved ones from unnecessary hassle and expense–as well as potentially months, even years, tied up in the court system settling your estate.
A will is a legal document that spells out the distribution of your assets and how your children will be cared for at your death. Probate is a process used to prove a decedent’s will is valid and to supervise the handling of their estate.
One of the biggest concerns a trust creator might have is that the beneficiary would squander their inheritance or that the beneficiary’s creditor would attach the inheritance to cover the beneficiary’s debt.
If you don’t have a spouse or children, you might think you don’t need to do much estate planning. However, if you have any assets, any familial connections, any interest in supporting charitable groups – not to mention a desire to control your own future – you do need to establish an estate plan.
There may be potential benefits to life insurance beyond its traditional uses, especially when it comes to taxes, estate planning and long-term care.
As you know, a power of attorney (POA) allows another person, the Attorney-in-Fact (AIF), to conduct business on behalf of the principal. The POA authorizes the AIF to sign for and on behalf of the principal.
Vacation property can become a family legacy. Keeping your cabin, fishing lodge, hunting property or other special assets separate for future generations is often a special goal for a family.
Before you decide to put your home in an irrevocable trust, it is important to have a basic understanding of what you are doing and why.
The word “estate” has always been connected to “ultra-rich” families, those with a lot to leave behind after their death. However, definitions have changed, and anyone who has anything to leave behind needs to plan their estate. “Estate planning” essentially becomes your family’s guidebook, once you are no longer in the picture. Sounds important? Definitely, and here’s why.