By Tim Barkley. June 2021. Probate. The word has achieved a Dickensian notoriety conjuring up greedy lawyers, helpless widows and children, and unscrupulous creditors. The avoidance of probate is now a cottage industry, carried on in the back offices of lawyers and...
By Tim Barkley. March 2021. Probate is the new family law. Old family dynamics suddenly surface or intensify after the parents are deceased. When Mom or Dad are gone and won’t be grieved or angered by the display of animosity or angst, the simmering sepsis of sibling...
By Tim Barkley. September 2020. “If I don’t have a will, the State will get everything when I die!” “I don’t need a will, because everything is going to my spouse!” “If I have a will, my estate doesn’t go through probate!” “I need a living trust, so I can avoid...
By Tim Barkley. March 2020. Jack and Jill (not their real names) were sipping coffee when the attorney came into the conference room. “Thanks for calling,” the attorney greeted them. “I understand you want to update your estate plan.” “Well, really, we want to create...
By Tim Barkley. February 2020. Last month’s offering to our readers considered the effect of the Inheritance Tax on folks without spouse, siblings or children as estate beneficiaries. This month’s article offers practical steps to ease the task of your...
