Posted on September 20, 2016 by Hawkins Elder Law.
[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] We have written more than once in our blog about the need for people to update their estate plans regularly. We get questions from people sometimes about whether the law really changes enough to justify estate plan updates. This week, we answer that question with […]
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Posted on June 11, 2016 by Hawkins Elder Law.
[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] The Indiana General Assembly updated several Indiana laws into the digital age during the 2016 legislative session. The legislature updated existing laws in the Indiana Probate Code, guardianship statutes, the Indiana Trust Code, and the Power of Attorney Act to allow trustees, decedent’s personal representatives, […]
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Posted on April 2, 2016 by Hawkins Elder Law.
[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Most people think once in a while about the inheritance that they will leave for others. Some people assume that their wealth will transfer to their family members smoothly and other people believe that they must make detailed plans. To some extent, both ideas are […]
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Posted on March 21, 2016 by Hawkins Elder Law.
[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] One of farming’s “Holy Grails” is to assemble tracts of farmland that join together as one big block so that the farmer can move from one field to another without having to transport equipment down roads or highways. Such a farmland assemblage saves incredible time, […]
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Posted on January 24, 2016 by Hawkins Elder Law.
[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Most people are familiar with corporations. Some people may have encountered a business entity that has existed in Indiana since 1993 called a limited liability company (an “LLC”). Business people have used these entities in Indiana to solve a wide variety of problems, including protection […]
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Posted on December 5, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.
[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Humans dominate the animal kingdom partly because we possess physical and mental abilities to change our environment and behavior deliberately. More than that, a person’s values elevate the person above the crude comfort and self-preservation instincts that define other creatures. The power to conceive and […]
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Posted on September 26, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.
[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Many people today struggle with how to invest money and what to do when a family member faces a health crisis. When you lack expertise for urgent financial and healthcare decisions, take decision-making advice from former US President Ronald Reagan: “trust, but verify.” Mr. Reagan […]
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Posted on August 22, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.
[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Financial experts often say that if you die without a last will and testament, the state will decide who gets your assets. That statement is true if you die owning assets without joint owners and without naming beneficiaries of bank accounts, insurance policies, retirement plans, […]
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Posted on July 12, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.
[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Most families experience intense grief and sorrow when a loved one dies. The grief sometimes turns to frustration and depression when family members must organize the deceased person’s records, gain control of the person’s finances, and sell, distribute, or dispose of the person’s property. Many […]
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Posted on July 4, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.
[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Trusts have become the some of the most widely known and misunderstood documents in estate planning practice today. Skilled trust lawyers use them to help their clients achieve their estate plan goals. Do-it-yourselfers misuse them to avoid “probate” and create wealth sinkholes that devour assets. […]
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