Reading Time: < 1 minuteHaving been widowed and remarried several years ago, I have acquired a new appreciation for the legal and emotional struggles faced by new spouses in this situation.
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWhen a new acquaintance discovers that I am an attorney, they will frequently ask what area of law I practice. My standard reply is that I do estate planning, probate and trust administration, and that it is the sort of stuff that would make for very boring TV drama.
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn a digital world where there is such an overwhelming amount of information available on any topic, it is no surprise that much of that information is false or misleading.
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAs an attorney working primarily in the area of estate plan, it has been an honor to assist thousands of individuals with understanding and preparing estate planning documents.
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAs a lawyer who practices both estate planning and estate/trust administration, I have noticed a trend over the last several years of people increasingly relying upon direct beneficiary designations to pass property upon their death without involving the Courts or lawyers.
Reading Time: < 1 minuteOne trend that I have noticed in recent years as an estate planner has been for older individuals to name their children (or other intended recipients) as direct beneficiaries on their assets. This is frequently known as a “P.O.D.” or “T.O.D.” designation, and nowadays it can be used to send almost any type of asset to one or more named recipients upon one’s death.