Estate Planning

Sometimes we are asked whether a couple that lives together — an unmarried couple — needs estate planning. Our answer is an emphatic “Yes.” There are protections married couples have that unmarried couples do not, which makes estate planning more important in many ways for unmarried couples. Whether they are a younger couple not ready…

As parents age, their adult children shift into the role of caretakers, making sure their housing, medical, financial and legal needs are being properly handled. It’s never a happy scenario when an independent parent becomes unable to live on their own and needs their adult children to become involved with their day-to-day life. There are…

No matter how old (or young!) you are, no matter the size of your estate, or how far away retirement is, you need an estate plan. Life happens, often unexpectedly, and an estate plan protects you and your family. One of the reasons for an estate plan is to provide detailed instructions to your spouse…

With no children and family members who want to see his assets go to victims, figuring out how to handle the estate of the man who murdered and maimed concert goers will take some time to figure out. Stephen Paddock died with no will and an estate worth an estimated $5 million. Newsweek’s recent story,…

Traditionally, clients start on their estate plan before the birth of a child or a new marriage. Rising prices in cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, are introducing a new generation to estate planning. As even small holdings have grown in value, it is increasingly important for digital currency owners to have an estate plan. There are complexities…

It’s the topic none of us want to think about, but talking with your children and loved ones about your end-of-life wishes can be one of the more important conversations. In some families, it’s easier to talk about sex than it is to talk about money, while in other families it’s the opposite. But few…

Wealthy celebrities may not have to worry about the financial side of welcoming babies in their senior years, but estate planning and retirement lifestyles for regular people need to be considered. Older parents or couples, where one member is significantly older than the other, need to address their estate planning and asset division differently than…

There are a few basics you’ll want to know about gift taxes, especially if a gift inadvertently exceeded the annual $14,000 limit. What would happen if a gift that started out at a value under the $14,000 annual limit was a gift of stock that, from the time you decided to gift it and until…