Most Americans believe in an afterlife – a life after death. But “thinking beyond death” doesn’t refer to heaven or hell, it refers to estate plans that include more than distribution of your assets to your loved ones when you pass on. It refers to a plan that takes...
If you drive northwest of Cocoa for about 160 miles, you’ll come to Tom Petty’s Florida birthplace. The legendary rocker was born in Gainesville back in 1950 and died a year and a half ago in his Los Angeles home of an accidental drug overdose.According to recent news...
Once you create an estate plan, you'll feel much better about the future. With this in place, you won't have nearly as many concerns about what will happen to your assets upon your death. You'll also have confidence that your loved ones will be okay after you're...
In the aftermath of a divorce, it can be difficult to remember all the things that need to be changed in your life. For many divorced parents, there are significant changes to the time they get to spend with their kids, as well as alterations in living arrangements,...
Let’s face it: because women live about five years longer than men, on average, they should take estate planning seriously. (So should men, of course.) It should be noted that if you don’t have an estate plan, it is likely that your assets will wind up in probate,...
Someone wise once said that “other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.” Unfortunately, though we might well “end with the family,” conflicts within that basic social unit can make everyone unhappy.According to a recent survey, family conflict...
Taking on the duties of an executor of a loved one's estate can be very stressful and time-consuming. In addition, the executor's role can often be extremely complicated. However, if you organize and deal with your duties methodically, you can ease the burden of the...
Does a person who has “a small amount of assets” need to have a trust in order to help heirs avoid probate? That was one of the questions posed recently to a Florida newspaper located west of Brevard County. The reply was that probate can be avoided in certain...
As a parent, you always want what's best for your children. This should lead you to create an estate plan with the future well-being of your children in mind. While there's no way of knowing what will happen down the road, there are steps you can take to put your mind...
Naming a power of attorney is easier said than done, since you have a seemingly endless number of options. While you can name almost anyone you want, you don't want to make a rash decision that could end up negatively impacting you or your loved ones in the future....