Blog

A life estate is a planning tool that can prove to be extremely useful from both an estate planning and an asset protection standpoint. So, what is a life estate? A “life estate” is a type of ownership interest in an asset that allows ... Continue Reading »

While estate plans typically focus on events that will happen years down the road, incapacity planning is more about the here and now since anyone at any age can be affected by a serious illness or injury. In this webinar, learn about how, throu ... Continue Reading »

Marriage Issues Have you set the date yet? Is your daughter getting married? Marriage is an important step. If both spouses have a similar financial situation, then perhaps no special planning needs to be considered. If there is a disparity in finan ... Continue Reading »

Many articles have been written about the Gift Tax implications of estate planning gifts. For most individuals, a more important consideration should be the income tax implications of substantial gifts to family, to charities, or mixed gifts that ben ... Continue Reading »

Many of you reading this may have already had an estate plan prepared, and in doing so considered the distributions of your estate to your heirs, asset protection mechanisms, tax saving strategies, and/or probate avoidance. You spent time thinking ab ... Continue Reading »

If you had your estate plan prepared more than 20 years ago, there’s a good chance you needed one or more three-ring binders to store all the documents. Perhaps due to a fear that picking up those hefty binders more than once could cause a back ... Continue Reading »

What is a trust? What does it do? What are the differences between revocable and irrevocable trusts? Attorney Allison Poirier answers all these questions (and more!) in our Trusts 101 video. Learn the basics of trusts and when you might need one. To ... Continue Reading »

When I think of many people’s approach to estate planning, I am reminded of an infomercial from the late 1990s. The product being sold was a rotisserie oven, and the enthusiastic pitchman proclaimed that once the chicken was in the oven, you co ... Continue Reading »

It’s no secret that Americans are spending more and more of their time online with each passing day: shopping, paying bills, sending emails, etc. Social media websites are a huge part of this trend. You find out about local events, parties, and ... Continue Reading »

Today we're introducing our new video series, Facts in 5, where we answer your most frequently asked questions in about 5 minutes. Today's topic is about how to structure your assets in order to avoid probate and keep things simple for y ... Continue Reading »

A common issue that arises for many when preparing their estate plan is resolving the struggle between equity vs. equality. Are there certain assets that are passing to some beneficiaries but not others? If so, are those beneficiaries receiving more ... Continue Reading »

If you’re like most people, thinking about who you want making medical decisions for you in the event you become incapacitated is not likely very high on your list of things to do. It’s a very difficult thing to contemplate, and even more ... Continue Reading »

Most of our estate planning clients come to us as husband and wife. The estate plan is typically prepared with each spouse providing for the other on the death of the first spouse, and for the couple's children or other beneficiaries on ... Continue Reading »

It's not pleasant to think about a time when you won't be here anymore. But it's very important to start thinking about this ahead of time so that you can prepare adequately. Many people pass away without a will, which makes things very c ... Continue Reading »

Decades ago, it was common for the elderly to remain in the family home and be cared for by their extended family. Often the elderly owned the family homestead that provided shelter for their children and grandchildren. In exchange, the elderly recei ... Continue Reading »

In today’s society, nearly everyone has some form of digital presence. From email to Facebook to online banking, a large part of our personal and financial lives are online. These modern conveniences make it easier to manage our ... Continue Reading »

As a business owner, the need for proper estate planning is essential, but in addition, a proper succession plan for your business is just as important. Given the fact that many small to midsized business owners spend a large amount of time and energ ... Continue Reading »

Joint accounts, rights of survivorship, accounts payable on death, trustee accounts, powers of attorney, designated beneficiaries – with all of the various methods of managing and transferring property and assets, does anyone really need a Will ... Continue Reading »

We're changing things up this month with a vlog post! Attorney Allison Poirier sat down pre-pandemic with Community Voice Channel to discuss estate planning, probate, trusts, estate taxes, and more. If you've got questions, they're s ... Continue Reading »

The growing prevalence and value of 401(k) plans and IRAs, and other retirement accounts have become more significant portions of many estates – and they generally are not governed by a will. The distribution of retirement accounts is governed, ... Continue Reading »

We often think that celebrities, due to their wealth and fame, are surrounded by attorneys, accountants, and other advisors who prepare detailed plans for the star’s assets. However, this is sometimes not the case. The potential consequences fo ... Continue Reading »

According to a recent survey published by the Washington Post, there are more than 400 million privately owned guns in the U.S. In another survey performed by the Pew Research Center, it was reported that as of 2017, one in every five women owne ... Continue Reading »

No one likes to think about their own mortality. To a large extent, we’d rather believe we are invincible (to some degree) and that debilitating or terminal illnesses are things that only happen to other people.  However, if there’s ... Continue Reading »

With most people currently sheltering in place, now is a great time to reassess your estate plan to make sure it meets your current needs and desires. Major life events, such as the ones listed below, should prompt you to take your estate planning do ... Continue Reading »

If you’re like most pet owners, pets are more than just property. They are members of your family. They give you boundless love and affection without asking for anything in return (except for perhaps a belly rub or tasty treat now and again). S ... Continue Reading »

In recent years, many Americans have been able to find out more about themselves and their family by purchasing one of the dozens of DNA testing kits available on the open market. You may have even purchased a kit yourself from 23andMe or Ancestry.co ... Continue Reading »

Your child is getting ready to go off to college this fall. Are you prepared?  Parents and their college-bound children discuss housing choices, meal plans, student loans (those FAFSA forms!), CHET savings plans, scholarships, work-stud ... Continue Reading »

Trusts can be important tools in estate planning. They can serve many of the functions of a will, but they don’t completely eliminate the need for a will. They can be used to manage your assets after your death, protect those assets from your c ... Continue Reading »

A common misconception about estate planning is that it is only for those who are old and rich. For this reason, most people think estate planning should go hand-in-hand with retirement planning, and younger individuals with fewer assets move estate ... Continue Reading »