Estate Planning
Plan for your future today. Learn the specific estate planning documents you need to protect yourself and your loved ones.
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The Probate Process: Four Simple Steps
Knowing what probate actually involves will help ease your fears about the process, one that isn't always as complex as you might think.
· 3 min read
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Can Estranged Relatives Contest Your Will After You Die?
Your will is intended to make sure your assets are distributed the way you'd like after your death. But if there's an estranged relative in the picture, you might be nervous about challenges.
· 4 min read
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How to Get Motivated: 6 Steps to a Good Will
People think of wills as the best way to pass along the assets they have gathered over a lifetime. But a will plays another role—it can be the best way to keep the peace among your family and friends, who may have different ideas of what you really want.
· 2 min read
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Without a Will, What Will Happen to Zappos CEO's Fortune?
Without a will in place, the fate of the former Zappos CEO's fortune is now in the hands of the courts.
· 3 min read
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How Quickly Are Wills Probated After Death?
Because an estate cannot be distributed to the beneficiaries until the will is probated, the length of time of the probate process directly affects beneficiaries.
· 3 min read
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Estate Planning 101: Understanding Probate Lawyer Fees
While not every estate needs an attorney, probate lawyer fees shouldn’t scare you off. By understanding the cost, you can see how probate attorneys help with the probate process.
· 8 min read
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What Is an Irrevocable Trust?
An irrevocable living trust can provide benefits not available with a revocable trust. Learn how an irrevocable trust can avoid taxes, protect property from creditors, and preserve property if Medicaid or other government benefits become desirable.
· 4 min read
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What Are Federal Inheritance Tax vs. Estate Taxes?
An inheritance tax is different from an estate tax. Whether you have to pay one, both, or neither depends upon the state where you live.
· 7 min read
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Protect Your Disabled Child with a Special Needs Trust
Parents with special needs children must take extra care with their estate planning. To ensure that the children receive appropriate care and support after their parents are gone, most experts recommend creating a special needs trust.
· 3 min read
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Legatee, Heir, Beneficiary, and Devisee: What Are the Differences?
A quick guide to the language of inheritance to help you make sense of who's who in an estate plan.
· 3 min read
