The Plain English Attorney Blog

Far too many attorneys overcomplicate things, making topics convoluted and difficult to understand to the average person. This blog is committed to explaining legal planning topics in an easy to understand format, in plain English. Enjoy the blogs, and please let us know if there is a topic you would like covered.

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Better Than Nothing? Sep 09, 2024

If you care about what you have an who you want making decisions for you if your can't, then it is critical to have legally have written instructions in place. However, about 68-70% of the population has no written plan whatsoever. The focus of my law firm is to help people plan ahead the...

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Three Things Most People Get Wrong About Living Wills Sep 03, 2024

Probably one of the most critical but misunderstood planning documents is the Living Will, or as we call it in North Carolina, a Declaration of a Desire for a Natural Death. While there are a lot of misconceptions and misnaming going around (no, a Living Will is not a Will that avoids probate;...

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Three Critical Estate Planning Options Aug 26, 2024

Death is not something we enjoy talking about, but something we know we all have to face. For many there is no preparation. It's sudden, unexplainable and without mercy. However for some, there is at least the favor of a little preparation. As much as the reality is all around you, talking about...

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Locking Things Up for You AND the Next Generation Aug 19, 2024

Unfortunately, the next generation may need a little extra protection... even from themselves. I'm not talking about specific beneficiaries with Special Needs who may need an inheritance to be locked up so they don't lose their benefits. Instead, I mean making sure that an inheritance. Sometimes...

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5 Ways Medicaid Planners Fail to Look Ahead Aug 12, 2024

Unfortunately, it is all too common, and it just happened a few weeks ago. I spoke with a long-time client about his father passing on and that his mother was in the nursing home on Medicaid. He had been trying to get answers from the attorney his father had hired, but as I looked through the...

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3 Nasty Secrets About Wills Aug 05, 2024

There are many attorneys who are happy to just “go with the flow,” and dole out a Last Will and Testament for their clients when asked. After all, the general public expects that that all they have to do is create a basic Will, and suddenly their estate is completely taken care of....

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Getting Started with Financial Planning #estateplanning #estateplanningbasics #financialplanning #genzestateplanning #guides #planning #steps attorney attorney advice attorneys advice beginner estate planning dosanddonts financial institutions getting started lawyer advice lawyers advice north carolina the plain english attorneyā„¢ Jul 15, 2024

When it comes to financial and estate planning, knowing how to start seems to be the toughest part. While we already have plenty of content on starting estate planning, building up that estate is its own subject. Getting started is very dependent on where you are in life and what goals you have,...

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Non-Profit vs Charity... What's Best? #estateplanning #financialplanning #guides #legaldocuments attorney attorney advice attorneys advice dosanddonts estate planning estate planning attorney estate planning strategies estatetaxexemption financial institutions generational wealth lawyer advice lawyers advice north carolina planningattorney property tax real estate real estate planning retirement accounts stocks the plain english attorneyā„¢ trust funds Jul 01, 2024

I recently had the privilege of discussing the subject of non-profits versus charities at the Homeschooling Unleashed conference in Raleigh. As Homeschooling becomes more popular, parents have been looking for ways to group together. These groups invariably want to know if they should form as...

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