What Final Bills Will Get Paid Out of My Probate Estate?

One of the most important steps that happens after a personal representative is appointed to your case, is the determination of date of death values. All assets that you owned inside your probate estate must be valued so that they can be liquidated to raise cash, to pay for debt taxes, debts, and expenses. It… Read More »

How to Do an Estate Planning Checkup

An estate planning checkup is your opportunity to review your life circumstances and the existing strategies and documents you’ve pulled together to protect your interests while you’re alive and your assets after you pass away. Estate planning is essential to ensure that everything you have worked so hard to obtain and protect over your lifetime… Read More »

10 Goals You Can Achieve with the Process of Estate Planning

Estate plans do not fit a general rule of one-size-fits-all. Your goals will influence what kind of estate planning documents you’ll need. If you have children, for example, you’ll want to be sure to appoint a guardian and conservator. If you want to maintain control over assets after you pass, then you will want to… Read More »

Does Anyone Have Personal Liability for Debts in an Estate?

When a loved one passes away it can generate a lot of financial confusion. This is especially true as different credit card companies, medical billing agencies, and other creditors need to be notified about the deceased’s passing. In these circumstances it can raise difficult questions around whether or not anyone else is responsible for the… Read More »

Which Assets Are Not Subject to Intestate Succession?

Some assets do not pass through a will. This is because every state has intestate succession laws which allow property to be passed on to surviving family members in priority order even when no will exists. Typically only blood relatives and spouses are eligible to inherit under intestate succession laws. This means that charities, friends… Read More »

Which Assets Are Not Subject to Intestate Succession?

Some assets do not pass through a will. This is because every state has intestate succession laws which allow property to be passed on to surviving family members in priority order even when no will exists. Typically only blood relatives and spouses are eligible to inherit under intestate succession laws. This means that charities, friends… Read More »

What Three Factors Make the Elderly Most Exposed to Financial Exploitation?

Unfortunately, far too many elderly people are exposed to financial exploitation every year. This problem is likely to get worse, which is why the government and family members are increasingly concerned about the possibility of exploitation. There are three primary sets of factors that work that make elderly more likely to be associated with financial… Read More »

How to Protect a Loved One from Identity Theft After Their Death

Did you know that recently deceased people are very high targets for exploitation after they pass away? This might come as a surprise as a family member or close friend of a deceased person as you are navigating all of the complexities of working through your own grief and potentially even your role in their… Read More »

What Is the Real Financial and Emotional Cost of Caregiving?

Caregiving has become a common topic of conversation among adult children who are now taking care of their elderly loved ones. When someone has had a decline in cognitive or physical ability, the first reaction is often to leverage family members or friends to ensure that this person’s safety is not compromised while still allowing… Read More »