Revocable Living Trust: Six Point Yearly Checkup

It's a Living Trust! A yearly checkup is a good idea to keep abreast of changes in assets, trustees and addresses. Unless this is done in the proper manner your expense and effort at setting up a trust may not result in your current wishes being honored and may result in an avoidable probate.

Wills and Trusts: Four Reasons People Delay & Shouldn't

Learn the 4 mind shifts you need to overcome estate planning procrastination.

Advance Directives and Do Not Resuscitate Orders Explained

An advance directive outlines what wishes your doctor must follow if you become unable to make your own medical decisions. When you're admitted to the hospital usually the staff will ask you if you have an advance directive, or you can hand your doctor and hospital staff a copy yourself if they don't ask.

Why You Should Have A Living Will

My opinion about having a living will is based on mainly on my experience. Although I work in the legal field I am not a lawyer. You should take care not to mistake anything I say as legal advice. With that out of the way, I can express freely that a living will not do all that you may think it can.

Importance of Living Wills

The concept of a living will was first put forward by Louis Kustner in the year 1969. Available statistics indicate that less than a quarter of the American population has a living will. However, an overwhelming number of people have responded to the idea of having one created. This can be attributed to the awareness, interest and even outrage generated by the Teri Schiavo incident, which managed to occupy the front pages of newspapers across the country for several weeks. A controversy was created when the court passed the final verdict, ordering her life support systems to be removed. It has been argued that what happened to Teri Schiavo was unfair and that she should have had a say in her medical treatment. This event acted as an eye opener to several people.

Will Writing Services

A will is a legal document that contains a declaration stating how to distribute a person’s possessions after his death. It declares who should own belongings and assets after death of the testator, i.e. the person whose will is being drafted. Using will writing services is a safe and secure way of ensuring stability of loved ones after death.

Will Estate Planning

A will is a written document which gives instructions how and to whom the will maker (testator) wants to bequeath his/her property after death. An oral will can be made only by members of military and merchant navy in active service when they don’t have time to execute a written will due to exceptional conditions like war.

Ethical Wills

What is an ethical will? Why have one?

Probate Research

Probate research is, in a sense, a study about family trees. Genealogists and historians are particularly apt to undergo probate research. Probate records give immensely invaluable information to them.

How To Avoid Probate

Probate can take anywhere from a few months to several years. It's expensive. Court fees and attorney's fees can come to around 5% of the estate's value. Hence, it is always better to avoid probate. There are possibilities to do this well within legal limits.

Last Will And Testament Laws

The laws of each state specify conditions for writing a last will and testament. Under old common law there used to be a separate writing disposing of real property (real estate) called ‘testament’, and a separate writing disposing of all other property called ‘will’. Hence the archaic phrase ‘last will and testament’.

Free Last Will And Testament Packages

A will is a legal document that divides your property among beneficiaries – like your spouse and children - and decides the fate of your assets. There are free packages for creating wills available in the market.

Contesting A Last Will And Testament

A will is a precious document that determines the distribution of a person’s assets to individuals on his demise - according to his choice and in a legally approved fashion. The beneficiaries of a will are usually those who fall in the law of descent from spouse, to children and then their descendants. But a person is also free to leave his money to anybody he likes – he can leave his property to charity, a sizeable sum to his faithful butler, and not a penny to the family. But his legal heirs may not like this.

Future Proofing: Why You May Need An Enduring Power Of Attorney

When you can't cope, an Enduring Power of Attorney can provide a helping hand. Here's what you need to know about this important legal document.

Living Wills in New Jersey Law

Anyone who cares about the feelings of their family members, or their own final health care treatment, should consider executing a Living Will. It has become an essential element in the practice of Estate Planning Attorneys.