Posts Categorized: Inheritance Planning

3 Frequently Asked Questions about Elective Shares

Nov 28, 2012 / By: Deborah Sexton, Estate Planning Attorney

Category: Estate Planning, Inheritance Planning

Question 1: What is an elective share? All states have laws that prevent spouses from disinheriting one another. These laws are known as elective shares, or sometimes as spousal shares. When you die, your spouse...

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Yes, Your State Can Inherit Your Property

Oct 29, 2012 / By: Deborah Sexton, Estate Planning Attorney

Category: Estate Planning, Inheritance Planning

The process of estate planning is, most simply, a way of setting your inheritance choices down in a legally recognized format. Your choices about who you want to inherit your property after you die must...

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Estate Planning School: 3 Questions About Ademption

Sep 12, 2012 / By: Deborah Sexton, Estate Planning Attorney

Category: Estate Planning, Inheritance Planning, Wills

The world of estate planning is full of some very specific terms. If you come across some strange language it’s best to ask your estate planning attorney what the term means and how it applies...

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Estate Planning and Common-Law Marriage – 2 Questions

Jul 5, 2012 / By: Deborah Sexton, Estate Planning Attorney

Category: Estate Planning, Inheritance Planning

If there is one area of the law that is most misunderstood by the public, it is common-law marriages. There are many who think that if you and your partner have been living together for...

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Baby Boomers, Art Collections and Estate Planning – 2 Tips

Jun 27, 2012 / By: Deborah Sexton, Estate Planning Attorney

Category: Estate Planning, Inheritance Planning

For art collectors who started their collections during the 50′s and 60′s, many are finding that their collections now constitute a large part, if not the bulk of, their estate. As these collectors develop their...

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Avoiding the Pitfalls of a Sudden Wealth

Jun 25, 2012 / By: Deborah Sexton, Estate Planning Attorney

Category: Advanced Estate Planning, Estate Planning, Inheritance Planning

If you are in the position where you are able to leave your children or family a substantial estate, there is one little element you need to consider closely. The phenomenon of “sudden wealth syndrome”...

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Boomers, Longevity, Aging and Blended Families – an Estate Planning Recipe for Disaster

Jun 22, 2012 / By: Deborah Sexton, Estate Planning Attorney

Category: Estate Planning, Inheritance Planning

For many baby boomers who have depression-era parents, relying on a forthcoming inheritance is paramount to their retirement plans. However, as both baby boomers and their parents continue to age, inheritance questions are becoming increasingly...

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Avoiding Accidental Disinheritances – 3 Tips

May 8, 2012 / By: Deborah Sexton, Estate Planning Attorney

Category: Inheritance Planning, Wills

Tip 1: Be clear about what your Will covers and what it doesn’t. When you’re creating your estate plan it’s important to keep in mind that your Will only covers specific property, known as your...

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The Estate Planning Concerns of the Descendants

May 5, 2012 / By: Deborah Sexton, Estate Planning Attorney

Category: Estate Planning, Inheritance Planning, Legacy Planning

If you haven’t already seen the Academy award nominated film The Descendants, you may want to rent it, especially if you are currently creating your own estate plan. The film follows Matt King, played by...

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Think about Your Beneficiaries

Jan 30, 2012 / By: Deborah Sexton, Estate Planning Attorney

Category: Inheritance Planning

Pass assets in a lifetime protected trust, not outright. Trusts provide asset protection so the assets are used only by your beneficiaries, not your beneficiaries’ creditors.

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