|
|
Keyword Search Result: will
September 10, 2019 – 3:12 pm
The Facts: I have been estranged from my family for many years. I want to be sure that family members are not able to inherit from my estate Question: Is that possible? The Answer: While you cannot disinherit your spouse, you can certainly take steps to prevent your siblings, children, cousins and other blood relatives […]
The Facts: I am a widow with modest assets and a small IRA. I have two grown children and two young grandchildren. My friends have been urging me to see an attorney about developing an estate plan. The Question: Considering the size of my estate, is that really necessary? The Answer: The short answer to […]
THE FACTS: I am one of four children. My siblings are Joe, Bill and Mary. My mother died last month. About 15 years ago, she went to her attorney and had a will prepared in which she named me as executor. Rather than divide her estate equally between her four children, my mother essentially disinherited […]
The Facts: Last year my aunt Sue died without a Will. She was widowed and owned a house that had been in our family for generations. The understanding was that when she died, the next generation, including me and my siblings, would inherit the house. Recently, my aunt’s daughter, Mary, signed a deed transferring the […]
October 23, 2018 – 1:59 pm
The Facts: My father executed a Will many years ago in which he disinherited my older brother, Joe, and named me as executor of his estate. Joe had been estranged from the family for years. My father recently passed away. I have looked through all of my father’s papers and cannot find the Will. I […]
September 23, 2018 – 1:56 pm
The Facts: My mother recently passed away. She and my father were divorced and my mother was in a long term relationship with Tom. My mother prepared her will before she met Tom. After living with Tom for many years, my mother made changes to her will by writing in the margins of the pages […]
January 30, 2018 – 12:00 pm
The Facts: Approximately five years ago, my father remarried and he and his second wife, Mary, purchased a house together. At the time my father told me that he alone paid for the house and that his plan was for the house to pass to me and my sister when he died. My father is […]
October 13, 2017 – 12:00 pm
THE FACTS: My mother has a dog, Fido, who means the world to her. When it comes to Fido, money is no object. She is very concerned about what will happen to Fido when she dies. Not only does she worry about who will care for Fido but also about who will pay for Fido’s […]
August 22, 2017 – 12:00 pm
THE FACTS: My father and sister perished in a plane crash under circumstances making it impossible to determine the order of death. My sister is survived by her spouse, Joe, and two children. My father’s will leaves his entire estate in equal shares to me and my sister, per stirpes. He was under the impression […]
February 13, 2017 – 12:00 pm
THE FACTS: I am trying to help my elderly parents organize their affairs. They want things to be as simple as possible for me when it comes time to handle their estates. My parents have wills and other advanced directives in place. THE QUESTIONS: Other than their wills, are there other documents or any types […]
January 13, 2017 – 12:00 pm
THE FACTS: My father died recently. He had a will in which he named my brother as executor. My brother and I have not spoken to each other in a number of years. I am concerned that he will close out my father’s accounts and sell his house and keep all the money even though […]
The Facts: My uncle died without a Will. He was never married and has no children. He owned a house and a car and likely died with significant debts. No one in the family wants to handle his estate because they are concerned that they will be personally responsible for paying that debt. The Questions: […]
January 28, 2015 – 1:47 pm
The Facts: My mother’s Will contains provisions that are inconsistent with other documents she has signed and with what she told my sister about the distribution of her estate. The Question: Are the Will provisions void or are the other documents unenforceable? The Answer: Unfortunately, the situation you’ve described is quite common and often creates […]
October 2, 2014 – 6:48 am
The Facts: I have two dogs that I consider part of my family. I want to be sure they are cared for after I die. Someone suggested that I include a Pet Trust in my Will The Question: Do you think this is a good approach? The Answer: Yes, I do. However, in addition to […]
August 6, 2014 – 11:32 am
The Facts: My mother died recently. She and my brother, who is my only sibling, had not spoken to each other in over a decade. In her Will, my mother disinherited my brother. On the beneficiary designation form for her IRA, my mother named my father, who predeceased my mother, as the sole beneficiary. She […]
The Facts: My sister died recently. In her Will she left 50% of her estate to friends and 50% of her estate to a charity. I feel she should have left her estate to her family. The Question: As her sibling, can I contest the probate of her Will? The Answer: Whether you can contest […]
It is that time of year when many people make vacation plans that involve flying or driving long distances or engaging in activities that are risker than their day to day activities. Whatever their vacation plans may include, being in a different environment, coupled with the risks associated with travel and the possibility that something […]
January 23, 2014 – 10:16 am
We all know that time flies by and that important things are sometimes put on the back burner as we rush around taking care of our day to day responsibilities. We have also all heard heartbreaking stories about people who had every intention of revising their estate plans but, failed to take the necessary steps […]
October 7, 2013 – 9:57 am
Estate planning clients often ask me how loans they have made to friends and family members should be addressed in their Wills. Since a private loan is simply an agreement between individuals, there is no right or wrong way to deal with loans when the lender dies. The intent of the parties as expressed in […]
March 13, 2013 – 12:36 pm
Recently I was reminded of how important it is to update your Will when circumstances change. A client came to see me about probating her husband’s Will. Unfortunately, her husband had signed the Will before he met my client and did not take the time to revise it. Since he did not have any children […]
January 23, 2013 – 11:28 am
There seems to be a great deal of confusion about the commissions that may be paid to the executor of an estate. Clients frequently ask me if they should specify in their Will the total commission that should be paid to the executor or if it is better to have the commissions determined by the […]
August 23, 2012 – 6:46 pm
The Facts: I was told that the money in the joint account I have with my son and the money in my IRA will not be distributed according to my Will when I die. The Question: Is that correct? The Answer: Yes, that is correct. Many people mistakenly believe that, following their death, the provisions in their Will […]
The Facts: My father died 2 years ago. My mother is receiving hospice care. In her Will my mother leaves her estate to me and my sister. Her Will provides that my estranged brother who has not been seen or heard from by anyone in the family for over a decade is not to receive anything. […]
January 12, 2012 – 6:55 pm
The Facts: I was married for 20 years and have two sons ages 19 and 13. I am now divorced and my ex-husband has remarried. Despite the settlement papers we signed in connection with our divorce, my ex never paid child support or contributed to my sons’ education expenses and has not been part of my […]
December 8, 2011 – 6:56 pm
The Facts: My mother’s brother, Frank, never married and did not have any children. He died with a Will that left everything to my mother. Although Frank and my mother had a brother, John, Frank did not mention John in his Will. Unfortunately, my mother died a year before Frank. I am my mother’s only heir. […]
January 6, 2011 – 7:06 pm
Clients often express concern that a dissatisfied family member may contest the probate of their Will. While a Will contest can be costly both in terms of money and time, only certain individuals can object to the probate of a Will and only certain grounds for objecting are acceptable. A person is able to file […]
December 2, 2010 – 7:11 pm
Many people mistakenly assume that, if they die without a Will, all of their assets are taken by the government. Although seizing a person’s assets may be a great way for the government to raise revenue, unless a person owes the government money, the government will not step in and seize a person’s assets when […]
November 4, 2010 – 7:08 pm
With low interest rates and a glut of properties on the market, an increasing number of clients are looking to purchase real property. Many of those clients are purchasing the property with friends and family members and have questions about how best to take title to the property. Since joint ownership of property can take […]
October 7, 2010 – 7:09 pm
As an attorney that focuses on estate planning, I am frequently asked what “probate” means. Technically, probate is the court procedure by which a decedent’s Will is either proved to be valid or found to be invalid and unenforceable. However, many people use the word probate in a more general sense to mean the process […]
September 9, 2010 – 7:09 pm
The saying that nothing is certain except death and taxes is not accurate. The fact that taxes will increase is also a certainty, as is the fact that many people try to avoid paying taxes. Unfortunately, some attorneys take advantage of the public’s aversion to paying taxes and convince people that living trusts, also known […]
The Facts: My father had a daughter, Jane, from a prior marriage. He and Jane did not stay in touch. Since he wanted me to have his house after his death and wanted to avoid probate, my father put my name on the deed to his house after my mother’s death. The deed does not identify […]
February 18, 2010 – 7:14 pm
The Facts: My husband and I agreed to separate over 20 years ago. Since neither of us wanted to remarry, we never filed for a divorce. In my Will my estate is divided equally between my current partner and my son. The Question: I was told that my husband may have a claim against my estate when […]
The Facts: In her Will my mother directs that her estate be divided equally between me and my two siblings. One of my sisters is named as a joint account holder on my mother’s checking account. The Question: Is my sister entitled to the balance in the joint account in addition to a full 1/3 share of […]
|
|
|
