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 Plan Checkups – You Probably Need One

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Planning for death or nursing home care unnerves some people so much that they never reconsider their plans or they avoid planning altogether. Many people assume (incorrectly) that their wills or trusts need no updates. Laws and family situations change enough that 5-year-old wills and […]

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ABLE Act Passes Congress and Awaits Presidential Signature

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Congress passed the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE Act) today. The ABLE Act says that its purpose is to: (1) To encourage and assist individuals and families in saving private funds for the purpose of supporting individuals with disabilities to maintain health, independence, and quality […]

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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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Estate Planning Issues for Remarried People

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Divorce and remarriage causes many estate plan complications. This article describes asset problems that some remarried couples encounter and suggests ways to avoid or reduce the hardships of those problems. A remarried person’s spouse and children may differ about who should receive the person’s assets […]

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Estate Planning for Family Unity

Posted on by Hawkins Elder Law.

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Most people have experienced conflict or heard of families that have split after the death of an older family member. Conflicts are a natural part of life, but not all conflicts have to happen. This article describes some things that people can do to maintain […]

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