Giving to charities through gifting and estate planning can provide may rewards, and not just a good feeling knowing you are helping others. There are plenty of tax breaks that can come along with being charitable. However, there are also several minefields that can unintentionally hurt you and...

It sounds ridiculous that it even has to be stated, but with the New Year we need to focus on fact-based solutions to our problems... and that will be considered "revolutionary." As I usually do, I have been on my annual end-of-year break and, unfortunately, I had a chance to dig a few inches...

'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 spent,...

There are multiple traps, myths, and outright falsehoods when it comes to estate planning for a special needs beneficiary, and it doesn’t help when these lies spread like wildfire. But why do they spread? Usually because someone had a single good or bad experience, and they wrongly...

A Last Will and Testament is supposed to be a way to communicate your wishes after you’re gone… but there are a lot of “extra” things DIY people (and even some attorneys) put into Wills that really don’t belong there and could cause problems down the road.

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When people meet with an estate planner for the first time, it is often uncomfortable. After all, they're there to talk about death and where their stuff goes. It's not a subject that most people are eager to address. But it's something that everyone needs to do. So what can the estate planner do...

When it comes to estate planning, coordinating ownership title and beneficiary designations with your revocable living trust and the overall plan is essential if you actually want to avoid probate. In this video, Jeff explains the reasoning behind why your revocable living trust should be the...

Probate will cost. A lot. When given the statistics, my clients are usually appalled that their estates going through the probate court system would cost so much. On average, the probate court system will eat up about 4-10% of an estate. Many states allow a standard 5% fee for an executor or...

When it comes to estate planning with a revocable living trust, I often use the suitcase analogy.  When it comes to avoiding probate, a revocable living trust is like a suitcase. It is designed to take your things from one place to another, and there are many different levels of quality. My...

Far too often, the general public has ideas about estate planning they get from popular television shows, to the point they believe that it is mandatory to have a lawyer read the will to a well-dressed family in front of a roaring fireplace with everyone sipping brandy from large sifter glasses....

The keystone to our law office's estate planning process is my book Estate Planning Basics, provided as required reading for every Estate Strategy Session with clients wishing to discuss their estate planning goals. That in combination with filling out a basic questionnaire means our...

Millennials have unique challenges that Boomers and Gen X have not had to face. These challenges include financial, legal, and family problems including estate planning issues probably unthought of by Boomers and the generations before them. The checklist includes:

• Having forgone college,...