Choosing someone to care for your children if something ever happens to you is not easy. If fact, for most parents, it is one of the hardest choices to even think about. But it is…
What You Leave Behind Affects More Than Memories
When loved ones look back at your life, they'll think about the stories you told, the laughs you shared together and the memories you left behind. Surely these are the only things that matter, right?…
Why Estate Planning Isn’t a DIY Job
When many people think about estate planning, they imagine a simple will and some papers put away for the future. It does not appear urgent until it suddenly is. And then, the absence of detail…
Refinanced Your Home? Make Sure It’s Back in Your Trust
People refinance their homes for a number of reasons, whether it's to lower their interest rate, change their terms or eliminate PMI. However, after refinancing, there's an important step that many people forget once the…
How a Thoughtful Estate Plan Helped One Woman Get Buried in Her Ferrari
Sandra West, a heiress to an oil fortune and Beverly Hills socialite, made headlines in the 1970s for one of the strangest estate planning stories to date. Her final request? To be buried in her…
Avoid the Probate Headache with a Thoughtful Estate Plan
Probate court is commonly compared to a bad group text. There are too many people, too much chaos, and not enough definition. It can take months, sometimes longer, to settle an estate through probate. Families…
Three Legal Documents Every College Student Needs Before Leaving Home
For many new graduates, this is the most exciting time of their life! Their heading off to college thinking about new friends and fun adventures. As parents, you're probably thinking about move-in dates, course schedules…
Why Everyone Needs a Will—No Matter the Size of Your Estate
Here's an estate planning myth, "I don't have many assets and only own one small condo, I don't need a will." This isn't true! A will is important for those that have any number of…
How Estate Planning Can Help Protect Against Rising Nursing Home Costs
The cost of nursing homes and assisted living facilities has increased gradually over recent years. For many families, long-term care expense can easily get too costly very quickly. Without planning, these charges may deplete savings…
Can You Put a House with a Mortgage into a Trust?
If you own a house and are thinking about estate planning, you may be asking yourself if you can put a house with a mortgage into a trust. The answer is yes. You can definitely…