For most people, one of the primary reasons why they execute a Last Will and Testament is to ensure that their estate assets are distributed according to their wishes after they are gone. If that is one of the reasons why you have a Will in place, you certainly don’t want someone to challenge that Will after your death. Although there is no sure fire way to prevent a Will contest, a Grand Forks wills and trusts attorney offers some suggestions that will help decrease the odds of a challenge to … [Read more...]
Probate Lawyer Offers Tips for the Executor
If you recently lost a family member or close loved one, you are undoubtedly going through a period of grieving and heightened emotions. If you also learned that you were named as the Executor of the estate, you may feel a tremendous amount of pressure along with confusion if you have never served as an Executor. The best thing you can do for yourself at this point is to consult with an experienced probate lawyer before you do anything else. To help you in your role as Executor, however, a … [Read more...]
Did You Know Your Estate Planning Attorney Can Help Protect Fido?
For most people, one of the primary goals of their estate plan is to protect and provide for their loved ones. If that is one of your estate planning goals, ask yourself if you have included all of your loved ones in your plan? Your spouse and your children are undoubtedly part of your plan; however, what about your beloved family pet? If you are one of the millions of Americans who consider a pet to be part of the family, doesn’t it make sense to include your pet in your estate plan? In fact, … [Read more...]
The Need for Medicaid Planning
Estate planning should involve more than simply deciding how your estate assets will be distributed upon your death. In fact, a well thought out estate plan should also protect, and help grow, those assets while you are alive and ensure that they are used to provide for your loved ones when you are gone. To do that, your estate plan must consider all of the potential threats to your assets, both now and in the future. Although you may not have yet considered this, the cost of long-term care … [Read more...]
The Guardianship Process
If you are an adult child, one of the most painful moments in your lifetime will be when you realize your mother or father is no longer able to safely care for himself/herself. Whether the cause is physical injury, Alzheimer’s, or the natural aging process, the result is the same. It may be time to consider guardianship. If you have never been a guardian before, you probably know very little about the guardianship process. Given the highly personal nature of the guardianship process, no two … [Read more...]
Tips for Getting through the Probate Process
The time period following the loss of a loved one is typically an emotional, and often stressful, one. If you also learned that the decedent appointed you as the Executor of his /her estate, the stress level will likely increase for you, particularly if you have never been through the probate process before as the Executor. With that in mind, a Grand Forks probate attorney offers the following tips that may help you navigate the probate process efficiently, and with a minimum amount of … [Read more...]
How to Handle a Spendthrift Beneficiary
For most people, one of the primary objectives in creating an estate plan is to decide how assets are divided up when they are gone. That can be problematic if one of your beneficiaries is a spendthrift – and the reality is that most families have one. That one person who simply doesn’t seem capable of handling money. If you are currently contemplating the terms of your estate plan, and you don’t know how to handle a spendthrift beneficiary, you are not alone. Because every situation is unique, … [Read more...]
Medicaid and Medicare — What Is the Difference?
If you are like many people, you may reach retirement age knowing very little about both Medicaid and Medicare. Over the course of your retirement years, however, you may find that you need to rely on both Medicaid and Medicare for assistance with your healthcare expenses. For this reason alone, it is important to have at least a basic understanding of the eligibility requirements and benefits offered by both programs. Medicare Basics Medicare is a federally funded and administered healthcare … [Read more...]
Do I Need a Special Needs Planning Lawyer?
Are you the parent, grandparent, or caregiver for a child with special needs? If so, estate planning for you should take on a heightened importance for several reasons. Not only do you undoubtedly wish to protect and provide for your child with special needs now, but you may also need to create an estate plan that continue to provide support after your child reaches adulthood. If you are not careful, however, your well-intentioned gifts could jeopardize your child’s eligibility for much needed … [Read more...]
Trust Administration — Tips for the New Trustee
One of the most important decisions a Trustor (the creator) of a trust makes is who to appoint as the Trustee of the trust. Ideally, the Trustor discusses the appointment with the proposed Trustee before making the final decision. All too often, however, a Trustor appoints a Trustee without the Trustee knowing about it. If you recently found out that you were appointed to be the Trustee of a trust, and you have never served as a Trustee before, you may be feeling a little intimidated at the … [Read more...]
