Estate Planning 26 - Personal Family Lawyer

The Final Log-Off: What Happens to Your Data When You Die?

November 13, 2014

Take a moment and consider how much of your life you live online. If you are like most of us, you bank, pay bills, make purchases, connect with friends and communicate with just about everyone you know online. Think about all the digital assets you have accumulated – account information, passwords, email, photos, videos, etc.…

November 6, 2014

Creating an estate plan to protect your financial future and that of your family is just the first step in the estate planning process. Once those documents are executed, you will still need to review your plan annually to ensure it continues to reflect your needs and achieve your goals. Here are 5 reasons that…

October 30, 2014

According to the Investment Company Institute, the use of IRAs for retirement saving has increased in the past decade, with $6.5 trillion invested in traditional and Roth IRAs. But how much of those assets will pass beyond the primary beneficiaries to the next generation? Currently, not much. Studies show that individuals who inherit IRAs spend…

October 16, 2014

Parents of children with special needs usually share one overriding concern: what will happen to my child after I’m gone? They also struggle with guilt for what they envision as an eventual destiny for their other children who might assume care of their special needs sibling. This is what estate planning was made for. You…

October 7, 2014

Legendary Hollywood actress Lauren Bacall died on August 12, 2014, leaving behind an estate estimated at $26.6 million and three children who face a couple of potentially serious problems that could have been avoided through effective estate planning. Bacall, who was married to Humphrey Bogart and Sam Robards, passed away in her New York City…

September 9, 2014

Whether you have a lost a spouse or partner through divorce or death, being thrust into singlehood can be an emotionally and financially jarring experience. To get yourself back on firm footing, at least financially, follow these five steps: Finalize financial plans. In the case of a divorce, you must ensure that the terms of…

September 5, 2014

You bring your children into the world with love. You raise them with love. If you’re going all the way as a parent, you also create an estate plan to safely pass on your legacy of love as well as your assets. But does your plan simply leave your assets outright, so they pass directly…

August 22, 2014

One of the most eloquent responses to Robin Williams’ death came from his best friend Billy Crystal, who posted on Twitter simply: “No words.” When someone close to us dies — especially in a sudden and tragic way — the grief is so deep that we truly don’t have any words to describe it. And…

August 15, 2014

If you own real estate, chances are you have purchased insurance to protect your assets against damage or loss. But have you taken the necessary steps to protect your assets against lawsuits or probate? If you own rental properties, there is likely a nagging fear in the back of your mind about being sued by…

August 8, 2014

While most parents have the best intentions when it comes to teaching their children about handling finances wisely, sometimes the lessons don’t take. In addition to concerns about spendthrift behavior, some children experience problems with substance abuse or have mental issues that make giving them access to wealth a problem. This is where a trust…

Include Your Intellectual Property in Your Estate Plan

You don’t have to be a famous producer or household name to own intellectual property. If you create music, own a business, write stories, or build gadgets in your garage, you almost certainly have intellectual property. However, because intellectual property…

Help Your Parents Avoid These New Financial Scams – Part 2

In part one of this series, we explored two popular scams that are targeting older adults this year: the grandparent scam, and cryptocurrency pickpocketing. In this week’s blog, I’m sharing two more scams that you and your parents need to…

Help Your Parents Avoid These New Financial Scams – Part 1

Fraudsters and scam artists are nothing new, but changing tools and technology are making it easier than ever for scammers to target their victims, especially seniors. To protect your aging parents (or yourself) from these con artists, it’s crucial to…