In an ideal world elderly parents and their adult children always get along, and when those parents pass away their children quietly and respectfully follow their wishes regarding the distribution of their estate. Unfortunately, we don’t always live in an ideal world, and inheritance and estate planning can often cause tension between parents and children […]
Read moreHave you ever wondered just how little you could get away with in your last will and testament? Aletta Stager of Brooklyn, NY holds the distinction of having executed one of the shortest wills on record—a mere 2 lines long! “Nov. 29, 1895. I give to my cousin, Nettie M. Cowan, all money that I […]
Read moreA woman today often has to wear many hats: daughter, wife, mother, employee, boss, caregiver, family CFO, etc. Women are unique contributors both within their families and in society at large, often taking care not only of young children but of elderly parents as well; but too often women can forget to take care of […]
Read moreAn interesting article in this week’s Time Magazine online addresses some of the weaknesses in the Durable Power of Attorney (POA) document—especially as regards the elderly—and how New York State is addressing these weaknesses. If New York’s experience with the beefed-up POA is favorable it is quite possible that other states will adopt similar changes. […]
Read moreWhen clients come into our office to design their estate plans one of their biggest concerns is how to dispose of their tangible personal property. Sometimes clients spend more time determining how to dispose of these personal mementos than they do the big ticket items such as bank accounts, real property, and investments. This is […]
Read moreSchoolchildren aren’t the only ones putting their noses back to the grindstone after this warm summer and long Labor Day weekend; Congress is also returning to work, and among the many issues they will be discussing is that of the estate tax, which is set to expire for a year in 2010. According to The […]
Read moreThe subject of inheritance is one that most people studiously avoid for a number of different reasons: superstition, fear, lack of knowledge, or—as this article by Gordon Powers points out—they don’t want to appear greedy. Furthermore, many older adults were raised to believe that money was a private affair, and that talking about it was […]
Read moreWhile I was up in the San Francisco Bay Area last week, I sat and watched the moving memorial of Senator Ted Kennedy. Whether you agreed with his politics, the recent death of Ted Kennedy has given us an opportunity to reflect on the unique nature of trusts not only as a tool to protect […]
Read moreA recent study about how divorce may affect your health has been making the rounds in the news sources lately. This article discusses how the added stress of divorce, family upheaval, and tighter finances can be so detrimental to your health that the effects can last years into the future. Because our law firm works […]
Read moreWhat is your estate plan all about? Is it about saving your assets from estate tax, or is it about leaving an inheritance for your children? Or is it something even beyond that—providing for your own financial security during your life, thus enabling you to leave a lasting legacy for your family? Estate planning—or what […]
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