Estate planning is something that people often associate with the end of their life. They assume that they will write a will in the last few years of their life to give their assets to family members and beneficiaries. Maybe they’ll wait until they retire, because...
Estate Planning
Why enroll your aging parents in an adult daycare center?
Finding quality care for aging parents is a crucial concern in a world where work and personal life demands can leave families stretched thin. One innovative solution gaining popularity is enrolling aging parents in an adult daycare center. Exploring this decision's...
Why use a medical power of attorney?
Estate planning may start with the division of assets, but that’s not all that it can do. Your estate plan can also be set up to plan for your medical future. This is often very important to consider for those who are making an estate plan as they age, when certain...
Why are wills contested?
A will is a legal document that outlines a testator's last wishes. Testators typically include beneficiaries who can inherit from an estate. If someone associated with the testator questions the authenticity of a will, they may challenge it in court. Here’s why that...
Can a personal representative be paid in Washington state?
Dealing with the administration of someone’s estate can be a pretty complicated job, and it’s often time-consuming and emotionally taxing. It’s not unreasonable (or even unusual) for an estate’s personal representative to receive compensation for their services. If...
What if you suspect someone influenced your loved one’s will?
No one ever wants to believe someone took advantage of or unduly influenced a loved one during their final days. Unfortunately, it happens more than you may think, and most families never know what happened until their relative dies. Undue influence occurs when...
When to change your personal representative
Your personal representative is tasked with ensuring that your final wishes are carried out as instructed. Obviously, this is an important role, so it’s important to choose the right person for the job. It’s possible that circumstances change in the life of your...
Should you create a trust?
When you think of trusts, you probably imagine some wealthy family living off the funds of a tycoon ancestor. And, while there are plenty of “trust-fund babies,” you don’t need considerable wealth to create a trust fund. There are plenty of good reasons why anyone...
How effective is a no-contest clause in protecting your will?
Let’s face it, we live in a highly litigious society. Sometimes, unfortunately, a dissatisfied family member can go to court over a will. And as you can imagine, this can prolong the probate process and sow lasting seeds of animosity. It can also eat up a huge chunk...
Update your estate plan after these life events
An estate plan should be updated periodically. Some people do this just by determining the frequency of those updates. They decide they want to update the plan every three to five years, for instance. But this can sometimes be problematic because there are certain...