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The Importance of Advanced Planning

Estate planning is a critical necessity when someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness:  It is vital that the proverbial “house” be put in order. Timing quickly becomes a concern.  At a certain stage in a terminal illness, it may become difficult to ascertain desires, or identify the information required, to carry out effective estate planning.  In addition, mental competency,…

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How to Avoid Probate

Chances are you have read or been told by someone that you should ‘avoid probate at all costs.’ This is especially true if you have a relatively sizable estate, which includes at least one house and some savings and/or investments in a portfolio. If one does not have a will, probate is the court administrative process whereby there is judicial…

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Planning Ahead For Key Legal Issues

John Lennon once wrote: “Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.” This is a profound thought and it certainly applies to the areas of estate planning, unexpected death, a life-altering accident, unanticipated sickness, home care and assisted living. Regrettably, this lyric applies to Prince, the mega music star who recently died unexpectedly at the age of…

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Estate Planning for a Single Person

When we think of estate planning, most of the time we think in the context of spouses and children. In fact, most people do wind up bequeathing everything to their spouse and their kids. At the same time, power of attorney and advance health care directives are usually delegated to spouses and children. Yet, there are many successful persons who…

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Frequently Asked Estate Planning Questions

Here are some of the more popular questions people have about wills and trusts and other estate planning documents.  Even people who already have their estate planning documents in order still wonder about these scenarios. Q: Should I Keep My Estate Planning Documents in a Safety Deposit Box? A: Yes – and no. You might keep an original of your…

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Estate Planning For Young People

Many people think estate planning is only necessary for the elderly and the wealthy. This is a very common misconception. Here are six reasons why estate planning should be on the radar for everyone in their 20’s or 30’s: 1) You Never Know What May Happen Think you are young and have plenty of time left to worry about estate…

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Estate Planning Lessons From the Dead

Celebrities are very influential in life. They can also be very prominent in death when their estate plans draw public scrutiny and criticism. Just because someone is rich and famous doesn’t mean they have executed the ‘perfect’ estate plan. More often than not, their estate plans are imperfect and wind up in prolonged litigation. Here are some lessons from recent…

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