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...
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...
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...
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...
An estate executor must perform many tasks when administering the decedent’s estate. Most people work hard performing their duties and ultimately do an adequate job. Unfortunately, not everyone is cut out to take control of an estate and manage it prudently. Mistakes...
A Totten trust, also known as a payable-on-death (POD) account or an informal trust, is a type of bank account that you can set up to transfer funds to a designated beneficiary upon your death. Accounts that are covered by this type of trust shouldn’t be included in a...
A trust is a legal entity that enables you to give another person the right to hold title to your assets and property for the benefit of your beneficiaries. When done right, a trust can help protect your assets and heirs from probate court and creditors....
It’s not uncommon for people to draft their wills and other estate plan documents without consulting family members and others about whether they want and/or can use the assets they’re leaving them. As a result, you may have recently come into possession of an asset...
In Washington, digital wills are allowed and recognized. In 2022, the uniform electronic wills act took effect, allowing testators to create and execute wills essentially from the comfort of their homes. Since most people live busy lives, digital will execution sounds...
If you’re a married couple who’s been together for many years and want a simple estate plan, you may be considering a joint will. You likely want whichever spouse outlives the other to inherit all your assets and then pass them on to your children or favorite...
