When an estate plan depends on someone to “do the right thing,” someone will inevitably dispute

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Think for a moment about what “last will and testament” means to you. Maybe the term reminds you of a movie with a widow dressed in black, perhaps wearing a black veil. You may think about a deceased person’s family gathered at a lawyer’s office […]

[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, […]

[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. […]

[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 […]

[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 […]