Joint Bank Accounts & Other Property Transfers To Survivors – Part 1

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] This article is the first part of a two-part series of about joint bank accounts and other kinds of ownership of bank accounts and investments (Click here to read Part 2). We have seen many avoidable cases of error, fraud, and abuse over the years. […]

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Scavenger Hunt – Finding Stuff After Someone’s Death or Health Crisis

Posted on April 4, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Managing someone else’s business when they die or become disabled can take you on a scavenger hunt. You may not know what you need to find or where to find it. To make a tough job worse, privacy laws severely limit the ability of banks […]

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Estate and Trust Beneficiary Expectations

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Hollywood must love the will opening “ceremony” because it has recycled the familiar scene repeatedly on the silver screen (Mommy Dearest,  Brewster’s Millions, The Ultimate Gift, etc.). The plot usually either begins or climaxes when a lawyer announces that some unrelated person receives almost all […]

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WILL VS. TRUST – Which Do You Need?

Posted on January 17, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Estate planning clients express surprise sometimes by our response to the question: “Do I need a will or trust?” We often respond: “Both!” Most plans should include will to ensure that assets pass to the intended beneficiaries. We always use a will in concert with […]

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Estate Planning: Avoiding Confusion

Posted on November 18, 2014 by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Many people who think of “probate” or an “estate” think of heirs arguing over a deceased person’s wealth. Thankfully, most estates are not contested and they lack Hollywood-style drama. Estate disputes usually involve unclearly worded wills or inconsistent statements about estate plan intentions from the […]

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