December 2024 Q: I have established 529 plans for my grandchildren and have purchased life insurance policies on their lives. Is there anything else I need to do? A: Yes! You should do two things. First, since you’re the custodian of the 529 plans and owner of the...
November 2024 Q: Who are all these people mentioned in my documents? A: Allow me to clarify: Fiduciary – person who acts in a position of trust over another person or that person’s assets – everyone below is a particular kind of fiduciary. Trustee – fiduciary...
October 2024 So you have some free time to do some research on the Internet to find out how to draft your own will. There are too many forms online for you to pay a lawyer. Lawyers are just so 1990s! You find a site that promises a document that will be effective “in...
September 2024. Q: I’ve signed a Life Estate Deed so that my children will receive full ownership of my house without probate. Is there anything else I have to do? A: Yes. It is still your responsibility to pay the mortgage, taxes and insurance – believe it or not,...
August 2024. Q: My mother just died. Do I need to do probate? A: If there was anything just in her name, with no living joint owner or beneficiary, then we have something that nobody owns. Nobody can take money out of a bank account that nobody owns; nobody can sell a...
July 2024. Q: I’m the court-appointed guardian for my brother. He just died. What do I have to do? A: I’m sorry, both that your brother passed away and that you have to go through all the steps required for the termination of a guardianship. First, you have to...
