It is not the wealthy singles who are most in need of an estate plan. Most people think protecting their children is more important than money. That’s why parents with minor children have more reasons to plan their estates than wealthy single people, according to Volume One in “When There’s a Will.” When parents of […]

The idea has only been science fiction so far. However, that may change in the future. The reproduction of things learned after birth is not likely anytime soon, so an almost identical human genetic clone might be far off. Recent information that Barbra Streisand has had one of her dogs successfully cloned twice, has sparked some […]

If a spouse passes away unexpectedly, the financial challenges can make the situation even worse. If a spouse passes away and they were the one who handled the finances, the widow or widower may face an additional challenge. However, they should not let financial issues bother them too much, according to the Green Bay Press […]

Are one or more of the potential heirs considering or have no interest in the farm? There are three steps. When a farmer passes away, one, all or none of the children may have an interest in the farm. That makes planning seem difficult. However, in reality there are only three steps to consider, according to […]

If you end up needing Medicaid, the government will look closely at your assets. There are some ways around the problem of having assets and needing Medicaid. A trust is one of the answers, according to the Times Herald-Record in “Benefits of Medicaid Asset Protection Trust.” A Medicaid Asset Protection Trust is a trust that […]

While many digital legal documents have already been created, it seems that wills create a real challenge. Despite the recent move to create digital legal documents, wills, which by the very nature of the deceased being unable to verify the document in court, have remained on the back burner. Perhaps, that is about to change, […]

Being an executor is not an easy job and can be quite stressful. Many people trust one of their own children above all other potential candidates when considering the responsibilities of an executor.  However, it is not always a good idea, according to Texas Lawyer in “Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be […]

The distribution of real estate can be a good deal or a bad deal. One way to avoid real estate going through probate is to put someone else’s name on the ownership of the asset. However, that almost always comes out badly, according to the Daily Republic in “All Things Real Estate: Living trust best […]

What you decide to do with retirement accounts can be a major enhancement to your estate plan. IRA retirement benefits can be used as a way to balance out other bequests and it can be used to support other estate planning goals. There are also tax implications to consider, according to  Morningstar in “Who Should […]

To Kill a Mockingbird put author in the limelight, but she quickly stepped out of it and has remained out. When Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, died in 2016, there was considerable publicity as writers attempted to uncover all the details of her life. They met with little success. Lee’s will […]