The Portland Museum of Art in Maine recently initiated legal action against the caretaker of an art collector. The Museum claimed that the caretaker bequeathed as much as $2 million to museum, but was convinced to not do so before her death. As a result, the art collector changed…
We love our pets, but many of us are still uncomfortable with confronting end of life issues. When accidents occur and people lack essential estate planning tools, it is very common for pets to being end up being sent to shelters or rescue centers. To avoid this unpleasant idea…
When major life events like marriage and divorce occur, it is a wise idea to review your estate plan. That’s because these life events have the potential to significantly change a person’s estate plan. The purpose of this article is to review some key factors that you should consider…
After creating an estate plan, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you have now done everything necessary to plan for the future. In many cases, however, people fail to make sure that all beneficiary designations as well as assets are titled in a way to…
Three people in Ohio were recently convicted on multiple charges related to a scheme associated with creating and probating a fake will that left the entirety of a $2.2 million estate to a beneficiary and revoked an earlier will the deceased person had executed in 1993. In an additional twist,…
Many investors focus on amassing as large a savings as possible, but some also want to create an estate plans to make sure that these assets are passed on to loved ones. By following some proven strategies, it is possible to reduce the amount of associated estate taxes. The…
The Michigan Supreme Court recently decided the case of Hegadorn v. Dept. of Human Services, which involves the Medicaid spend down process. A “spend down” in this context refers to the process of reducing the assets of a person applying for Medicaid so the individual qualifies for Title XIX…
Our experienced estate planning lawyers have helped a number of people create estate plans that can be used to carry out their wishes. We have also encountered a number of clients who attempted to create online estate planning documents, but who ended up facing expensive and substantial obstacles. Do…
Estate planning is one of the least understood areas of law. One of the commonly overlooked parts of estate planning is the number of people who have the potential to benefit from proper estate planning. The great value of estate planning is not that lets people define their legacies, it…
It is important to share details about your estate plan with your loved ones so that they can do their best to make sure that your estate goals can be carried out. Deciding what to share, however, can be difficult. This article discusses several of the important things that you…