Estate Planning Strategies to Protect Your Spouse

Estate Planning Strategies to Protect Your Spouse

You found the love of your life, and as you have built your life together, you have likely weathered your fair share of storms and grown stronger because of them. Now that you are married, you are uniquely situated to provide meaningful support for your spouse after...
Surprise! You Cannot Easily Disinherit Your Spouse

Surprise! You Cannot Easily Disinherit Your Spouse

Believe it or not, it is not easy to disinherit your spouse in the United States. In many states and the District of Columbia, you cannot intentionally disinherit your spouse unless your spouse agrees to receive nothing from your estate in a prenuptial, postnuptial,...
5 Easy Tips to Simplify Your Charitable Giving

5 Easy Tips to Simplify Your Charitable Giving

Will you be donating to charities this year? The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reminds us that you must itemize deductions on Schedule A of your tax return to claim a deduction for charitable gifts. The following five tips can also help ensure that your charitable...
Your Divorce Decree: The First Step in Estate Planning

Your Divorce Decree: The First Step in Estate Planning

You and your spouse have recently divorced, and the judge has signed the divorce decree. Now what? Although you may feel that you have spent enough time and money on lawyers, there is one last attorney you need to talk to: an estate planning attorney. If you and your...
5 Reasons Uncle Bill May Not Make a Good Trustee

5 Reasons Uncle Bill May Not Make a Good Trustee

If you have created a trust that you intend to last for decades, choosing the right trustee is critical to ensuring the trust’s longevity and ultimate success. Initially, you may think that a family member (for example, Uncle Bill to your children, who are the initial...