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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A general question I hear from new clients is whether or not they have to worry about "death taxes." The term "death tax" is actually political, and candidates use it as a campaign football. In actuality, there are several different taxes related to estates and inheritances that may or may not...
Gun Trusts are becoming more and more popular, but there are a lot of misconceptions and myths surrounding them. Just as with avoiding probate in estate planning with a revocable living trust, gun trusts attempt to avoid as much red tape as possible during life and after death. Here are just some...
Medicaid Planning can be much more complex than Estate Planning, and that's because the government is paying out money rather than simply regulating a process. The hopeful truth in a horrible process is that our country is not going to simply let our seniors go without the care they need, but the...
Time keeps passing, and the New Year is often a time to focus on upgrading our lives. It is (or should be) the same with businesses, and the law office is also undergoing some changes to keep up with the times. Here are some the items we'll be focusing on in the coming year:
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‘Twas the night before probate, and all through the house
Not an asset was spared, for there was no spouse
Nor were there children, or any appointed heirs
For the deceased had no plans, nor had he cared
The forms were stacked high, with supporting documentation
Billable hours were...
"Never, Would I Ever..." Estate Planning
When many people are thinking about estate planning for the first time, it is not exactly the most comfortable thing to think about. Because of that, there are a lot of contingencies, pathways, and options that people fail to consider. But that's...
Level One Adulting Starter Pack: A Basic Estate Plan
Many of our trust clients have children who are over eighteen, and around the time of that milestone birthday for the first child, the parents realize they can’t keep making financial, legal, and health decisions for their children...
Whether a Revocable Living Trust is right for your particular situation or not is never as simple as looking at your net worth, despite what other attorneys may claim. That is because how much wealth you have doesn't mandate what your estate goals are.
If you are trying to decide between...
A 50% divorce rate is an unfortunate statistic in our current society, and, unfortunately, many people fail to handle the divorce properly resulting in a lot of unintended consequences. These negative results go far beyond simply delaying divorce or not getting everything you are entitled to in...
Creating and securing perpetual wealth for a family forever is possible, but it is not necessarily for everyone. Setting up the right trusts and structures can make sure that descendants you will never meet are supported. cared for, and able to live their best lives without the worry of money. In...
When volunteering recently with my Civitan club at the Carolina Tiger Rescue, the question popped up on whether or not you can inherit a Tiger in light of the Big Cat Public Safety Act of 2022, and that naturally led to questions about Pet Trusts and what kind of language is needed in an estate...
Unfortunately, some things never go away. In fact, they can get more pervasive and insistent with time.
One such scam going around directly impacts my clients who put their real estate into their revocable living trusts as well as their irrevocable property trusts. Once the deed is recorded at...
