Today’s technology allows us to access a gamut of information from the comfort of our homes or by simply pressing a quick button from our smartphones. We can even do our shopping by simply asking our “virtual assistants”, like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Play, to place an order. However, this quick and easy access to…
Continue reading…Category: Health Care
3 Steps to Prepare your Children for an Inheritance
How do you prepare your children to receive their inheritance? Your children receive their inheritance according to the directions you provide in your trust document. What if your children are not fiscally prepared to manage their inheritance? Talking to your children about your plan to include them in your in regard to their inheritance is…
Continue reading…The Thanksgiving Table Is The Perfect Forum To Discuss Estate Planning
In addition to expressing thanks for all that you have in this world, take the opportunity, while your loved ones are relegated to one table, to discuss, or at least investigate, the following topics that will surely give them pumpkin to talk about. Power of Attorney: Easy as pie to execute, a Power of…
Continue reading…How to Find the Right Legacy Planning Attorney for You.
Legacy planning is much more than a configured documentation of your assets. It is both a personal and procedural preparation of your life requiring additional foresight and planning for beyond. Developing a solid estate plan requires a culmination of knowledge based on law, accounting, and a level of customization that only a good estate planning…
Continue reading…Estate Planning Is Dead
by Daniel Scott, Forbes July 26, 2018 Link to Original Article Estate planning is dead. Gone are the days of creating legal structures to hold your assets, pass your fortune on to the next generation and, of course, avoid paying estate taxes. Gone are the days of planning for your death. It’s time to plan for…
Continue reading…What Is Probate?
At Phillips Ballenger, we believe that proper estate planning is essential in avoiding probate. Probate, a process regulated by statutory guidelines and applied through the courts, is triggered when an individual dies without a trust. This process, like other forms of litigation, can be long, arduous, and sadly, adversarial. This week, we give you an introduction…
Continue reading…Celebrity Estate Planning Mistakes – UPDATE: Aretha Franklin Did Not Have a Will!
Large and complex estates are not always adequately planned for. The most recent example of this is the unfortunate passing of famous vocalist, Aretha Franklin. At 76, the singer’s illustrious career is left, vulnerable to the effects of probate, because no will or trust document was left to allocate her assets (link). Unfortunately, her heirs…
Continue reading…Back-to-School Checklist: A Reminder to Reassess your Financial Planning (Part 2)
For many families, this week marks the beginning of a new school year. This week, we continue with the academic theme, and give you Part 2 of the Back-to-School Checklist. In this final segment, we are discussing the importance of updating your trust documents and planning for the holidays. Update Your Trust Documents Established revocable…
Continue reading…Three Critical Legal Documents Every Parent of a College Student Should Get in Place As Soon As Possible
The National Law Review By Ben Leonard, Esq. As a soon-to-be college freshman many years ago, I was preoccupied with selecting roommates, finding bacteria-resistant shower shoes, and dreaming about the incredible freedom my 18-year-old adult self would have. Of course, it never occurred to me that it would have been prudent to have certain legal…
Continue reading…Estate Planning Questions Everyone Should Ask Themselves
Whether you are a Type-A personality or a spontaneous adventure seeker, there are some issues you should consider when thinking about your life and legacy. Estate planning is not only for those who like to map out the rest of their lives down to the day (like me ), or for the ultra-rich; there are…
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