All across the country there are cemeteries for people and cemeteries for pets. Virginia has become the third state in the nation to pass a law allowing pet owners to be buried with man’s best friend. Joining New York and Pennsylvania, Virginia’s new law went into effect in July and…
According to estate planning professionals, almost 65% of Americans do not have a basic will or estate documents drafted. Although it is nice to think that your family will be able to take care of your estate and know your wishes, the truth is that if you do not have…
There are a lot of benefits to establishing a trust in your estate plan. It can eliminate the need for probate, keep your affairs private, and reduce the chances of issues arising among your heirs regarding their inherited share. However, creating a trust is a big investment that involves a…
One of the most common estate planning mistakes comes in the handling of beneficiary designations. Many people do not understand that inheriting retirement accounts, life insurance, and other assets that involve a beneficiary designation are different than inheriting from a will. Here are some of the most common mistakes that…
A lot of people who have not started estate planning often ask if they really need a will, or if any estate planning is really necessary? Usually, it is followed with a statement about how the children will take care of it, or that the situation is pretty straight forward,…
Comedian and trailblazer Joan Rivers passed away this week, with friends and family saying goodbye at a memorial service in Manhattan. Details about her estate and funeral have not been made public, but it was no secret that Joan Rivers wanted her funeral to be as extravagant as the rest…
A number of seniors who are preparing for retirement and estate planning do not have children. Some childless retirees plan on hiring a child – a younger caregiver who will look after them in their old age. Children usually serve as the caregiver and beneficiaries to an estate, and they…
When many people begin the estate planning process, they sometimes believe that they are doing the right thing by giving more to one child than the other. One child may be making more money, is more successful, or has married into wealth of his or her own. Parents think that…
A little more than a year ago, the United States Supreme Court struck down Section Three of the Defense of Marriage Act. In doing so, the federal government gave same sex couples access to the same federal rights as heterosexual couples. Many of these rights involve taxes, housing, Social Security,…
After nineteen years of battling from probate court all of the way to the United States Supreme Court twice a recent court ruling seems to have ended the battle between the estates of Anna Nicole Smith and Pierce Marshall, for now. Called “The Grand-Daddy of all Estate Battles” these two…