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Do you have children that have turned eighteen or about to turn eighteen? Do you have children that are in college or on their way to college? A few things every parent should know when your child turns 18 Did you realize that once your child turns eighteen your rights as their parent cease to exist (and this also applies to the parent of
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You’ve seen the commercials with OJ Simpson’s attorney telling you to go to a certain website, put in some information, and you can prepare your own estate planning documents with the click of a mouse. And I say – absolutely, go ahead and do that. Why would I say that? Because, chances are very good that you will need my services when, at some
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The hardest decision for some (once they’ve decided to do their estate planning) is who to name in the documents to make decisions. Who do you want to name as the personal representative (also commonly referred to as the “executor”) of your estate – the person that handles your estate after you die? If you become incapacitated, who do you want making financial decisions
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They are intimidated by the process. Estate planning does not have to be intimidating – you just need to know what to expect. Most attorneys will have you fill out a questionnaire that lists your assets and liabilities and asks you questions like, “Who do you want to appoint as your personal representative of your estate” or “Who do you want to appoint as your
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Whenever I talk to people about creating a living will (which outlines important health care decisions that you want – and, not to be confused with a Last Will and Testament, which specifies who you want to inherit your assets and who will administer your estate at your death), the name Terri Schiavo usually comes up. Her situation is the perfect example of why
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Estate planning for “non-traditional” families is a very relevant topic and one that I do not think gets enough attention. Same-sex couples have the same estate planning needs as do opposite-sex couples – probably more so, than opposite-sex couples. While the goals for both are probably the same – making sure that their property passes to their loved ones with the least amount of
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So, you’ve gone through a divorce (and it’s probably taken an emotional toll) and you are thankful that the process is over….or is it? Prior to your divorce, you and your spouse may have taken the time to do your estate planning. Or perhaps you had listed your spouse as beneficiary on your life insurance and/or retirement plans? Well, what happens after a divorce?
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Don’t you love that Office Depot jingle where the father is all excited because it’s time to go shopping for school supplies and get the children back to school? It always makes me laugh. It’s also an exciting time for those parents who have children about to go to college for the first time (or returning to college). But did you know that once
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Advance Care Directives are specific instructions about medical care if that person becomes unable to do so. An example is a Living Will, a document that explains the wishes of a person during a terminal illness. Do Not Resuscitate Order, for example: “No CPR if breathing or heart stops.” It is written by doctor after discussing with the patient or a designated person. A Medical Power of Attorney allows
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I have been receiving an alarmingly high volume of phone calls over the last few months from individuals who have children with special needs that are about to turn 18 and they are panicked because they have been told they will lose the ability to make legal, health care and educational decisions for that child. I have written before about the importance of having
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