Category: Probate
Nearly two-thirds of all Americans have a robust social media life, as well as an average of 25 online accounts, including social networking accounts, banking and financial accounts, according to a Microsoft study conducted in 2007. By now, those numbers may have increased. These digital accounts are now considered personal assets, and figuring out how […]
Ernie Banks, known as “Mr. Cub” had been diagnosed with dementia just days before he signed a will leaving his small estate to a caregiver, charges his estranged wife. Seems like she isn’t done with him yet. In a case for resolving marital disputes sooner rather than later, the battle between Ernie Banks and his […]
FINRA launched the Securities Helpline for Seniors on April 20, and it became very popular, very quickly. In addition to calls from seniors, many calls came from adult children whose parents had died. The heirs weren’t sure what they needed to do to track down their parents’ broker-dealer account assets and how to transfer assets. […]
Being an executor of an estate is not an easy task, especially when it is for the first time. When you are named as an executor and the person has died, knowing what to do and how to prioritize the tasks can be challenging. In the best case scenario, the person has had a chance […]
An argument is being made that the “slayer” rule — which says you can’t murder someone and then inherit their money — be extended to lengths never seen in Missouri. Missouri prosecutors allege that in 2010 Kansas City attorney Susan Van Note entered her wealthy father’s lakefront home, then attacked him and his girlfriend Sharon […]
If you’ve been in business for long, chances are you’ve heard at least a few tales of probate problems plaguing family members, would-be successors or remaining business partners. So, how can you avoid probate? Many small businesses have had problems with probate. In the worst cases, the problems have led to the end of the […]
If you do not have a will the state will provide one for you. And if you are married with young children and both parents die who becomes the children’s guardian will be up to the state’s court system. No will? No problem – the state will provide one for you. But how likely is […]
What has been missing for so long is a means of transferring real estate in a simple, probate-free process. In about half the states, that hole has been plugged. Probate can be messy, time-consuming and costly. Consequently, many people want to avoid it for their own estates. Unfortunately, probate is unavoidable if you own real […]
If passed the bill would direct the Texas Supreme Court to create various forms to aid individuals in creating wills and navigating probate pro se. One argument against estate planning are the fees involved in creating an estate plan. Many people cannot afford lawyers or they do not believe they need lawyers for their legal […]
Since last summer, investigators have been trying to answer a puzzling question: Who killed Sarah Long, who was found dead of a gunshot wound at her Old Meeting Way townhouse in July. At the same time, another struggle has been playing out in probate court: Who will get Long’s nearly $1 million estate? Since shortly […]
