When you operate a business, you can’t stop planning for the future. Most of the time, that means focusing on the day-to-day operations and growth strategies – but you also need to give thought to a future where you are no longer present. This is where business...
Appointing someone as guardian of your child(ren) can be the most important decision you ever make. While everyone’s familial circumstances are unique, the bottom line is that every parent wants the best person possible to step into their roles once they can no longer...
Being a trustee is a position of great responsibility – and a trustee also a legal obligation to continuously act in the best interests of the beneficiaries. Fail in that obligation and you could quickly find yourself at the center of a lawsuit as the beneficiaries...
If you’re beginning the estate planning process or possibly considering some modifications to your existing plan, one of your concerns is likely the tax ramifications of your decisions on the value of your estate (and, by extension, your beneficiaries). That’s why...
People may become vulnerable and dependent on others for a variety of reasons. In many cases, age is what renders someone incapable of managing their own affairs. Cognitive decline or medical challenges like Alzheimer's disease can leave people dependent on others for...
Estate planning is an effective way of planning your estate to better ensure that all your affairs are handled as per your wishes in the event of your death or incapacity. As such, it is important to handle the process with careful consideration and attention to...
If you have a bank account, you can name a beneficiary in advance. Once you make this beneficiary designation, you have turned your account into a payable-on-death account. When you pass away, the beneficiary assumes control. This is often an important part of estate...
One of your biggest assets is your life insurance policy. You know that life is unpredictable, but you wanted to ensure that you could provide for your family. So, when you and your spouse had your first child, you bought that life insurance policy and named your...
Your estate plan can do more than protect your loved ones, you can use it to help others through charity. Including charitable wishes in estate planning is not complicated. Here is how you can do so: Use your will The first method you can use to include charitable...
Some estate disputes are based around the idea of undue influence. This can be used as a reason to challenge a will or an estate plan. By claiming undue influence, someone is just saying that another party influenced the person who is writing the estate plan,...