Estate Planning Archives – Page 7 of 13

Protecting Your Pets with Estate Planning

April 13th, 2021

This is Fred. He is a very good boy who loves walks, cuddles, and bacon. Being a responsible pet owner not only requires giving Fred lots of love (and snacks), but also ensuring that someone will step in if I am no longer able to care for him. Your e… Read More

Prove It!

March 16th, 2021

Earlier this month, the Michigan Court of Appeals clarified the standard of proof that must be met in determining whether a conservator has breached the fiduciary duty he or she owes to the individual whose assets are being managed under the conserva… Read More

A Lesson Learned

February 2nd, 2021

A friend of mine gave me permission to share her story in the hope that it would be helpful to others. Her brother, a single man, was recently found dead in his Florida apartment. Sadly, no one in his family knows where he banked. They do not know hi… Read More

It May Be Time for a Checkup

September 29th, 2020

There’s a lot of buzz lately about federal estate tax. Currently, we can each pass down $11,580,000 to the next generation free of estate tax. This tax exemption increases annually with inflation, but it will be cut by more than half at the end of… Read More

Remarry, Re-Plan

September 15th, 2020

While we read reports that the divorce rate has declined over the past couple of decades, it has actually doubled for couples over age 50. A few things to keep in mind regarding your estate plan upon a remarriage: Protecting both your new spouse and… Read More

Getting It Done

August 18th, 2020

Covid-19 has us all on edge. One way that I see this anxiety play out is in the increased number of calls we’re receiving from people interested in implementing or updating estate planning documents like wills, trusts and powers of attorney. One fr… Read More

A Gift That Truly Keeps on Giving

July 7th, 2020

I often meet with estate planning clients who want to help their children, grandchildren, or other young ones out financially. It’s usually through gifts for education or health-related needs, or perhaps with money to buy a home or car. No client h… Read More

Thinking Outside the Box

June 2nd, 2020

Covid-19 is causing anxiety on just about every level. One way I see it playing out is in people preparing their own estate plan documents because they fear the worst should they catch the virus, but they think the “stay home, stay safe” orders p… Read More

Planning in the Time of Coronavirus

March 19th, 2020

During this time of the Coronavirus outbreak, one thing is certain: nothing is certain. As we know, everyone is susceptible to the virus and anyone could be facing possible hospitalization in these worrisome times. But before you’re facing a medica… Read More

The Little Things in Life

January 7th, 2020

When planning the distribution of your estate, smaller, tangible personal property items can cause more difficulty than larger, even more valuable assets. Sentimental items can lead to family disputes and possibly litigation, which might rack up lega… Read More