Blog
Revocable Versus Irrevocable Trusts
By Robert J. Green, Esq. While trusts are not necessary for all my clients, many of them are interested in avoiding probate and after exploring all the options find that…
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Special Considerations for Women When Estate Planning
American women live on average 4.8 years longer than American men.Because women typically outlive their spouses, their estate planning documents are usually the ones that actually determine what happens to the family assets. However, the longer life span of women also means that women are more likely to experience a period of time at the end of their lives when they are unable to make their own decisions because they are incapacitated due to some medical condition.
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Should I Consider Creating a Gun Trust as Part of My Estate Planning?
If you own any firearms or other weapons that are specifically regulated by and registered under the National Firearms Act (“NFA”), a gun trust will likely be necessary in order to make sure that your beneficiaries are not committing a felony by taking possession of the firearms.
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How Old Do You Need to Be to Benefit from an Estate Plan?
Most people that I meet associate the phrase “estate plan” with the rich and the elderly. I have written here before about why it is untrue that only the wealthy need an estate plan. Today we will examine how a person’s youth impacts their need for estate planning.
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A Last Will & Testament is Not the Same Thing as a Living Will
Your Last Will & Testament is also where you appoint a legal guardian for your minor child in case both of the child’s parents are deceased. Doing so guides the court system and the family regarding the your wishes. For parents of young children, this may be the single most important part of a Last Will & Testament.
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Compliance Checklist for Creating and Operating Your Business
One of the difficulties in running a business is figuring out which types of laws and regulations apply. Figuring out the intricacies of federal and state law is difficult enough. Then, depending on where your business is located, you also need to consider local ordinances and regulations such as the county or city code. This complexity can sometimes lead to a bury your head in the sand approach where it is hoped that ignorance of the law will be a defense if something goes wrong. However, that is not the case. It is assumed that business owners are aware of and understand the laws that are applicable to their businesses.
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If You or a Loved One Has a Disability, You May Need a Special Needs Trust
A Special Needs Trust (also known as a “Supplemental Needs Trust”) serves a very specific purpose: it helps recipients of certain public benefit programs remain eligible for those programs.
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How Often Does an Estate Plan Need to be Updated?
A question I regularly hear regarding all types of estate planning documents is “how often should this be updated?” The answer depends, of course, on the individual circumstances. However, there are some general guidelines that can be helpful. Two questions to think about regarding updating your legal documents include – have there been any major life events since the documents were last updated, and have you looked through the documents in the past 2 years?
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Snowbirds Need to Pack Something Extra Before Heading South For The Winter
Many of our clients in North Idaho and Eastern Washington are “snowbirds”. I know some clients are even headed south early this year to escape the smoky air we’ve endured lately. If you are headed somewhere warm to spend the winter months, you will want to be sure you have packed more than just your sunscreen.
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