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Managing Digital Assets in Your Estate Plan
Digital assets, just like physical assets, need to be accounted for as you develop your estate plan. You should always have a full inventory of all of your online assets and make sure someone knows about them ahead of time. Digital assets can be just about anything, including the following: Online bank or stock trading […]
How to Protect Against Challenges to Financial Power of Attorney
If for any reason you think there is a chance someone will challenge your financial power of attorney by claiming you were coerced into signing it, there are several steps you can take to affirm your decision. We encourage you to consider the following: Speak with an attorney: Make sure you review your financial power […]
The Different Types of Memorial Services Available
As you go through the estate planning process, you will eventually need to determine what sort of funeral and memorial plans you want to arrange for yourself. This is not always the easiest subject to approach for people, as it can seem rather morbid. However, the more you are able to arrange before your death, […]
What Happens to Your Bank Accounts When You Pass Away?
The way you pass on the assets in your bank accounts depends mostly on how these accounts were owned. This is important information to understand as you plan for the future of your estate. Individual accounts Accounts you owned by yourself may or may not have a pay on death (POD) beneficiary. If your account […]
Understanding the Concept of ‘Undue Influence’ in Creating a Will
When family members are blindsided by the contents of an individual’s will, they may begin to suspect there was undue influence on the testator. Perhaps they did not receive the inheritance they expected, or maybe someone else received an unusually large inheritance — someone who was not family and did not seem to be particularly […]
The Validity of Deathbed Wills
Individuals who believe they only have a short time to live might decide to create a new will before they pass away — colloquially referred to as a “deathbed will.” While this might not be the ideal situation for creating a thorough will, a document established in this manner can be just as valid as […]
The Pros and Cons of Pay on Death Designations
Pay on death (POD) designations are a common way for individuals to pass on account assets to their beneficiaries. These designations come with a variety of benefits, including: Avoiding the cost and hassle associated with probate: Perhaps the single-biggest reason people choose to use POD accounts is to avoid the probate process when assets are […]
Leaving Behind Assets to a Charitable Cause
When you plan your estate, you have the option to leave some assets behind to charitable causes, in addition to what you give your other beneficiaries. There are several strategies through which you can do this: Wills: If you have a will, you can make a bequest to the charity or cause of your choice. […]
Common Myths About Probate and Wills
Most people do not have an in-depth knowledge of estate planning and probate law. As a result, there is a lot of misinformation related to wills and probate that can cause some confusion. The following are a few of the most common myths we see when people come to use for estate planning services: MYTH: […]
How to Obtain Copies of a Certified Death Certificate
Just as a birth certificate proves one’s birth, a death certificate is the official evidence recording a person’s death. It typically includes information about the deceased, such as name, address, location and time of death, birth date and place, education, marital status, surviving spouse (if applicable) and information about the deceased’s parents. The executor of […]