Less Complicating. June 2018. By Timothy S. Barkley, Sr. First, the phone call. “Can you look over our wills and trusts? It’s been a few years, and we want somebody to make sure they’re up-to-date. And we’re going on vacation and want to make sure everything is...
By Tim Barkley. August 2017. Your will and power of attorney are nestled in your safe deposit box. Your living will is in your file at your doctor’s office. You feel prepared for all the uncertainties that life can fling at you. But are you really as prepared as you...
By Timothy S. Barkley, Sr. April 2015. “Let’s talk about uncomplicating your estate plan. “When your plan was created in 2005, the federal estate tax exemption had just risen to $1.5 million. The Maryland estate tax exemption was $1.0 million. Do you have any idea...
By Timothy S. Barkley, Sr. March 2015. First, the phone call: “Can you look over our wills and trusts? It’s been a few years, and we want somebody to make sure they’re up-to-date.” Certainly. Let’s get together. Next week? The meeting. “We had this done about ten...
By Tim Barkley. March 2013. Now that you’ve set up your living trust, you need to feed it to make it grow. In legal parlance, you need to “fund” your trust. The benefits of a living trust – probate avoidance, privacy, efficiency, estate tax avoidance – may be...
