Most people do not realize that probate and wills are not just for the rich. If you were to die tomorrow and do not have a will, then in most cases, the government will have no idea who the money should go to and how much should go to each of your kin. Ultimately, lawyers more »
When her son returns home after his Mom’s death, he finds more is waiting for him than just assets and debts. Not every last will includes the nightmarish overtones of Rosalind’s — but many do. That’s why talking to an experienced attorney is recommended. Creating a last will entails different ways to write a will. more »
When Tom Johnson of Washington D.C. was called in 2016 about his brother-in-law, Mark, Tom became intimately aware of the need for a living will. Mark, unconscious and lying in a New York hospital was unmarried and didn’t have a living will outlining either his wishes or giving power of attorney to a relative. “We more »
My family said goodbye last month to my dad who celebrated his 94th birthday last June and had lived a full life. He spent his final weeks at home with hospice care surrounded by the people he loved. He manifested signs of dementia during his final years, but we were able make the decisions necessary more »
Where should you keep estate-planning documents prepared by your attorney? Where should people expect to find your living trust, will, durable power of attorney and advance health care directive? You want to be sure that those documents stay safe and can be easily found when your family needs to find them. For those of you more »
Did you know that even deceased persons can be victims of identity theft? The deceased are easy targets because sometimes it takes weeks or months and in some cases years for financial institutions to find out about a death. The identity of a deceased person can be stolen in a variety of ways. Some identity more »
In my wills and living trust practice, it’s routine for a client to come in wanting to draft a will. From time to time, that client doesn’t speak any English. This may be a bit of a hurdle, but drafting the will is far from impossible. Where the would-be testator speaks a different language, a more »
A large percentage of California nursing facilities for the aged are cited each year for instances of abuse. Unfortunately, the majority of nursing home abuse and neglect cases are never reported. When we put our elderly loved ones in a nursing home or assisted living facility, we’d like to think that they will receive the same standard more »
When people retire, or decide to move to be closer to family often times it involves a move to a different state. So when you move to a different state, are your estate plan documents still valid in your new state of residence? The answer is maybe. Under of the U.S. Constitution, every state shall more »
As times have changed, so has the field of estate planning. When I started out in the field 22 years ago, people and their lives seemed to be less complicated. As the years went by, it seems like the issues my clients shared with me became more complex. Perhaps as I gained experience and felt more »
After a loved one passes away, the personal representative (fiduciary) on behalf of the estate or trust is responsible for managing the estate and distributing the assets.When the decedent has a valid New York will or trust in place…
Under New York Law, a guardian is a person who has the authority to take care of your minor children if you are unable to as a result of a mental incapacity, illness, disability or you pass away. The legal guardian has the same authority and powers as a parent…
