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Maps help us get where we are going. Nowadays, phone apps provide detailed directions, making it nearly impossible to get lost. A physical map may seem outdated, but in an emergency, it can be a lifesaver.   An estate plan without a “road map” leaves your loved ones guessing what exists and wh...

A plain-English guide to federal “due-on-sale” protections for owner-occupied homes (and where the limits are) Many homeowners assume a mortgage automatically stays in place when they add a family member to the deed, transfer the home after a death, or move a primary residence into a living trus...

Even if you are currently in good health, an unexpected illness or injury could leave you unable to make your own medical decisions. A medical power of attorney is a crucial component of your estate plan that allows you to designate a trusted individual (your agent) to make healthcare choices on your behalf if necessary. It is essential to provide this person with clear, documented guidance regarding your medical preferences so that they can confidently carry out your wishes.

Congratulations on your new home. Whether you are officially a first-time homeowner or moving up (or scaling back) to a space that better fits your life, buying a home is a major milestone. While you are busy picking paint swatches and unboxing the kitchen, do not forget that a new deed often signals a new financial landscape and a new asset to plan for. Now is the perfect time to align your estate plan and financial goals with this new chapter.

Most people think of a will as a legal document that says who gets what. That’s true—but for many Christians, a will can also be a final act of stewardship: a way to care for family, reduce confusion, and leave a clear testimony of faith. A Christian Will is a traditional last will and testament that intentionally reflects Christian beliefs and values alongside standard estate-planning instructions.

Real estate can be owned in several different ways. The form of ownership, or how your property is titled, can determine how much control you have over it, how vulnerable your property is to creditor claims and lawsuits, and what will happen to it at your death.

Losing a loved one is challenging enough without added complications. One way you can take some of the pain out of administering your estate is by preparing an End of Life Planning Kit. Sometimes referred to as a death box, death binder, next-of-kin box, or legacy folder, it serves as a centralized place to organize important information and documents in a productive, practical way, ensuring that all necessary paperwork is kept in a single location and that those who need it know where to find it.

The notion of fairness often pervades family dynamics and may continue even beyond death when decisions about dividing accounts and property arise. The law has attempted to address different notions of fairness with a variety of distribution strategies. Per stirpes, by representation, and per capita are key terms in wills and trust agreements that specify the way money and property are to be equitably divided. As you explore these distribution methods, observe how they achieve fairness in different ways and with different results.

Inheriting a home is not a bad thing—far from it. With home prices at record highs and many Americans priced out of the market, inheriting a house can be a life-changing opportunity. However, without proactive estate planning and frank conversations about the true costs of home ownership, it can also bring surprise expenses, family conflicts, and tough decisions.

While many proactive individuals understand the importance of having a comprehensive estate plan, they often assume that their plan only covers what happens after they pass away. However, a complete estate plan also aims to positively influence your life by planning for and securing necessary protections while you're still around to enjoy the benefits. 

Your estate plan is one of the most important sets of legal tools you will ever create. An estate plan is designed to protect you, your loved ones, and your money and property. However, an estate plan is not a “set it and forget it” set of legal tools. While estate plans are designed to have some flexibility, they are created at a specific moment in time and need updating as your life changes. If your plan has not kept up with your life, it could fail when you need it most or perform differently than intended.

You have decided to meet with an estate planning attorney to get your affairs in order and ensure that your loved ones are protected. Now that you have scheduled the appointment, it is time to get yourself organized and prepare for the first meeting.

Estate planning often feels complex, leading many people to rely on assumptions that can have devastating consequences for their loved ones and their legacy. From who can make decisions for you to whether you need an estate plan, common myths can stand between you and a secure future. Let’s debunk these widespread misconceptions and reveal four essential truths about effective estate planning.

Many people believe that a simple will is all they need to accomplish their goals for the future. However, a flawed estate plan can create just as many headaches, heartaches, and expenses for your loved ones as having no plan. Life changes, laws evolve, and even the best intentions can fall short, leaving family members facing court battles, unexpected taxes, or painful disagreements. Here are 12 common mistakes that might be hiding in your estate plan that can jeopardize your hard-earned money and property, diminish your legacy, and place unnecessary burdens on your loved ones. Ask yourself: Is my current plan truly ready for the future, or is it time for a review?

When a person dies owning property in their sole name without a designated beneficiary, their loved ones must undergo a court-supervised process called probate to transfer the property from the deceased person’s name to the name of the intended beneficiaries or heirs at law. Going through probate court may lead to various expenses, including fees for attorneys, executors, appraisers, accountants, court filings, and other costs required by state law. Depending on the probate’s complexity and the estate’s value, fees can easily run up to tens of thousands of dollars in some states.  However, many costs can be reduced by avoiding probate altogether.

Golf, like life, has a way of humbling even the most experienced among us. Conditions change. Variables shift. What worked last time might come up short today. Estate planning is no different. It is about knowing the terrain, making smart choices with the tools you have, and adjusting as life throws you its fair share of water hazards, wind gusts, and bunker shots. August is National Golf Month. While you are out there working on your game, remember that in the game of life, you should also be developing your estate plan. As with golf, an estate plan takes careful preparation and continual refinement for the best results.

From the moment a child is born, a parent feels an instinctive urge to protect and nurture. We childproof our homes, carefully select schools, guide them through adolescence, support their careers, and watch with pride as they forge their own paths.Thinking ahead, you might have set up a trust for your child at birth or soon after, knowing you wouldn't always be there to provide financial support. Like your living, breathing child, the trust you create for them must grow as they do. It should be a flexible, evolving legal tool that matures alongside them, from first steps to first jobs, from childhood to adulthood. You may not always be there, but with the right trust setup and thoughtful updates, your care and protection can be.

When thinking through their estate plan and how they want their assets (money and property) managed after they pass away, most parents wish to treat their children equally, often out of a sense of fairness. However, sometimes being fair or doing what is right by your children may mean giving unequal inheritances.

Whatever the time of year, it is always good for members of the military and their loved ones to create or revisit their estate plan. Military families face unique estate planning considerations that others do not, especially when a family member is deployed overseas or receives a temporary duty assignment. In addition, service members have access to special benefits and resources that can add complexity to the planning process, so seeking help if you are a military family is important.

You regularly check the balances of your retirement, bank, and investment accounts. But when was the last time you checked the beneficiary designations on these accounts (and really, all the other accounts that allow you to name a beneficiary)? Beneficiary designations are a crucial part of an estate plan and a way to avoid probate. But they supersede instructions in a will or trust and should be regularly reviewed to ensure that they align with your legacy goals.

The Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was enacted to provide guidelines to the healthcare industry for protecting patient information and preserving privacy. This is usually a nonissue for minors because parents, as legal guardians, generally have access to their children’s medical information, make most of their medical decisions, and pay the expenses. However, once an individual turns 18, they are no longer a minor but a legal adult.

Your wedding day was absolutely perfect. You and your spouse went on your honeymoon and had the time of your lives. Now you are back and can breathe a sigh of relief as the years ahead unfold before your eyes. Well, not so fast. With your honeymoon over, there are several things you should be mindful of to ensure that the legal and financial parts of your life properly reflect your newly married status.

You intend to pass along your hard-earned money and property through your estate plan, but what about your wisdom? Ensuring that you successfully pass all of this along may call for a family meeting to discuss your finances, your legacy, and your core principles. Most families lead busy lives, with many relatives seeing one another face-to-face only at a handful of major holidays throughout the year. The estate planning process is a perfect opportunity to bring everyone together outside of those scheduled occasions.

When beginning any type of planning, you usually start with some preliminary questions. Estate planning is no different. As you dive deeper into the process, you will need to think about how you envision things unfolding after you have passed away. Aside from your money and property, are there other things you want to leave your loved ones? Any inspiring words or values that you hope they heed? The following questions can help you think about what matters most to you and what you want your loved ones to receive through your estate plan in addition to money and property.