Estate Administration: Probate is the first Step When there is a Will
A Last Will and Testament designates an Executor who has legal authority to handle the estate assets. The Will also specifies who receives what, and in what way; the language of the Will specifies if the share is to be put in a Trust or is to pass outright, and who will receive the share if the named beneficiary has died. If assets are jointly owned or if they have named beneficiaries, they...
Why would an 18-year old need a Power of Attorney or a Will?
“Powers of attorney are for old people.” “I don’t need a Will, I don’t own anything!” Truth be told, signing a basic set of ‘estate plan documents” at age 18 can prevent expensive legal problems later. It’s like fire insurance — you get it, but hope you don’t need to use it. I have been in court on so many occasions when an...
Tell your Executor where you’re keeping your Will
Recently I got a call from the child of a client of mine who had just recently passed away. The child was panicky because they could not locate Mom’s Last Will and Testament. Mind you, this particular Mom was a very organized person. Bills were always paid on time; the house was meticulous; papers were looked at, dealt with, and either filed, scanned or discarded. The Mom had reviewed...