Many who have yet to create an estate plan tell themselves “When I become rich and famous I’ll do it because then I will really need one”. Surprisingly, many of the rich and famous still don’t get around to it, creating a legal nightmare when they die. Consider the following short list of rich and famous persons who failed to leave behind an effective estate plan. Abraham Lincoln: Despite being a lawyer himself, even the 16th President of the United States died intestate. Jimi Hendrix: … [Read more...] about Dont End Up Rich, Famous, and Intestate
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The Government Estate Plan for Intestacy
If you are one of the millions of Americans who has failed to create an estate plan, you are officially signed up for the government estate plan. When you fail to execute as much as a Last Will and Testament or Living Trust prior to your death, your estate will be handled according to the government’s rules and laws since you are considered to have died intestate. So how does the government estate plan work? For starters, except for the most modest estates, it is likely that everything you … [Read more...] about The Government Estate Plan for Intestacy
Reasons an Estate Plan Could Be Challenged: Part 4 – Lack of Testamentary Capacity
An Estate Plan is an essential part of your planning process. But there are ways an Estate Plan can be challenged as being invalid. This is part of a series of articles by my friend and colleague Steve Hartnett, an estate planning expert, on ways an Estate Plan might be invalid and how to avoid these pitfalls. This fourth article in the series looks at testamentary capacity. Reasons an Estate Plan Could Be Challenged: Part 4 – Lack of Testamentary Capacity … [Read more...] about Reasons an Estate Plan Could Be Challenged: Part 4 – Lack of Testamentary Capacity
Reasons an Estate Plan Could Be Challenged: Part 3 – Fraud
An Estate Plan is an essential part of your planning process. But there are ways an Estate Plan can be challenged as being invalid. This is the third part of a series of articles on ways an Estate Plan might be invalid and how to avoid these pitfalls. This article looks at fraud. Reasons an Estate Plan Could Be Challenged: Part 3 – Fraud … [Read more...] about Reasons an Estate Plan Could Be Challenged: Part 3 – Fraud
Reasons an Estate Plan Could Be Challenged: Part 2 – Undue Influence
An Estate Plan is an essential part of your planning process. But there are ways an Estate Plan can be challenged as being invalid. This is the second part of a series of articles by my friend and colleague Steve Hartnett, an estate planning expert, on ways an Estate Plan might be invalid and how to avoid these pitfalls. This article looks at “undue influence.” Reasons an Estate Plan Could Be Challenged: Part 2 – Undue Influence … [Read more...] about Reasons an Estate Plan Could Be Challenged: Part 2 – Undue Influence
Reasons an Estate Plan Could Be Challenged: Part 1 – Formal Requirements
An Estate Plan is an essential part of your planning process. But there are ways an Estate Plan can be challenged as being invalid. This is part of a series of articles by my friend and colleague Steve Hartnett, an estate planning expert, on ways an Estate Plan might be invalid and how to avoid these pitfalls. Reasons an Estate Plan Could Be Challenged: Part 1 – Formal Requirements … [Read more...] about Reasons an Estate Plan Could Be Challenged: Part 1 – Formal Requirements
The Questions of Estate Planning, Part 6: Why
People often have questions about Estate Planning. This is the sixth in a series of articles addressing those questions. This sixth article by my friend and colleague Steve Hartnett, an estate planning expert, addresses “why” to do Estate Planning. Read on to learn more. The Questions of Estate Planning, Part 6: Why … [Read more...] about The Questions of Estate Planning, Part 6: Why
The Questions of Estate Planning, Part 5: How
People often have questions about Estate Planning. This is the fifth in a series of articles addressing those questions. This fifth article by my friend and colleague Steve Hartnett, an estate planning expert, addresses “how” to do Estate Planning. Read on to learn more. The Questions of Estate Planning, Part 5: How … [Read more...] about The Questions of Estate Planning, Part 5: How
Estate Planning in the Divorce Context
Most couples enter into marriage with the hope that the union will last forever. As such, couples typically blend assets, name each other as beneficiaries in estate planning documents, and assume the other one will take care of the children in the event of death. Sadly, more than 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce. If you are in the middle of a divorce, or who has recently concluded the divorce process, you may not have considered the impact the divorce has on your estate plan. While … [Read more...] about Estate Planning in the Divorce Context
The Questions of Estate Planning, Part 4: Where
People often have questions about Estate Planning. This is the fourth in a series of articles by my friend and colleague Steve Hartnett, an estate planning expert, addressing those questions. This fourth article addresses the “where” of Estate Planning. Read on to learn more. The Questions of Estate Planning, Part 4: Where … [Read more...] about The Questions of Estate Planning, Part 4: Where
