I’m talking about Advanced Directives with Deborah Kaminetzky on the most recent Ag Law Today podcast. So many people focus on Last Will and Testaments instead of Powers of Attorneys and Health Care Proxies, which are arguably MORE important. Deborah is amazing.. she hand held me through my first divorce and was a great mentor to me. Don’t miss this …
Make an Achievable 2019 New Year’s Resolution – Get an Estate Plan Checkup!
With 2019 right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about your new year’s resolutions. It doesn’t matter whether you have an estate plan or don’t, one important item to add to your list is getting an estate plan checkup. Don’t Have an Estate Plan? If you don’t already have an estate plan, then getting one in place should …
Ask Cari: Who Needs an Estate Plan?
If you’re reading this, you need an estate plan. Why? The short answer is “Everyone, age 18 and older needs an estate plan.” It doesn’t matter if you are old or young, if you have built up considerable wealth or if you are just entering adulthood —you need a written plan to keep you in control and to protect yourself …
Is a Revocable Living Trust Right for You?
Revocable Living Trusts have become the basic building block of estate plans for people of all ages, personal backgrounds, and financial situations. But for some, a Revocable Living Trust may not be necessary to achieve their estate planning goals or may even be detrimental to achieving those goals. What Are the Advantages of a Revocable Living Trust Over a Will? …
Your Cyber Legacy: 3 Tips for Your Digital Assets
There’s an entire category of commonly-overlooked legacy to consider – digital assets. Don’t worry if you didn’t consider these assets when made your will or trust – it’s surprisingly common and, luckily, easy to correct. What are digital assets? They include: your photos (yes, all those selfies are a digital asset), files stored in the cloud or on your local …
Estate Planning For the Newly Married
Now is the perfect time to start working on an estate plan—because, as newlyweds, you may not have a list of your accounts, but you’ve effectively just done a working inventory of your possessions—as you’ve figured out how to consolidate two households into one. You’ve already been working on the new banking and shared responsibility of bills and taxes and …
The Top 2 Ways the Court Gets Involved in Your Estate, and How to Avoid Them
No one wants unnecessary court involvement in their life. But without careful and proactive estate planning, chances are that some aspect of your estate will end up being decided there. Here are two of the most common ways court proceedings can make their way into the management and distribution of your assets, along with the estate planning measures you can …
Tips for Working with an Estate Planning Law Firm: Get the Most Out of Your Work with Your Lawyer
When you hire an attorney for estate planning, help with a loved one’s estate, or any other legal matter you want to make sure that the work gets done as quickly as possible and at the best possible value. Here are some tips to have the most useful and value-oriented law firm experience. Get to know the lawyer and the …
Episode 4 of Ag Law Today: Last Will and Testaments
Hear me discuss all things Last Will and Testaments on this week’s Ag Law Today along with Deborah Kaminetzky, who has been a mentor of mine since the infancy of my law practice (you have her to thank for my matrimonial part of my law practice). Listen as Deborah bestows her wisdom to us.
Estate Planning Isn’t Spooky! But Not Planning can be Downright Terrifying
The idea of implementing an estate plan might be one of the scariest things you have to confront as an adult. But estate planning does not have to make chills run down your spine. On the contrary, estate planning is empowering for both you and your family and allows you to live confidently knowing that things will be taken care …
Ask Cari: If I Don’t Have an Estate, Do I Really Need an Estate Plan?
You don’t need to have a summer house in the Hamptons or a private art collection big enough to rival MOMA to consider yourself the owner of an estate. In fact, virtually anyone who owns anything has an “estate” in the eyes of the law. Although the term may conjure images of expansive country properties, expensive cars, or other symbols …