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...
September 2023. Q: Do I need a trust? A: A trust is a bucket to hold money, for someone – a “beneficiary” – that needs the money but can’t have it in their own name. The classic beneficiary is a young child, someone with special needs, or someone consistently making...
October 2022. Q: Don’t I need a will to avoid probate? A: Thanks for asking! But wills don’t avoid probate; they CONTROL probate. Anything just in your name when you die, that doesn’t have a living joint owner or beneficiary, passes through probate. Probate is the...
September 2022. Q: My spouse just died. I want to put my children on my house to protect it, so there’s someone there in case something happens to me. What do I need to do? A: There are several ways to set up the title of your home so that it will pass to your...
