Estate Planning · March 08, 2024
No matter how well you think you know your loved ones, it's impossible to predict exactly how they'll behave when you die or become incapacitated. No one wants to believe that their family members would ever end up fighting one another in court over inheritance issues, but the fact is, we see it all the time. The best way to deal with estate planning disputes is to do everything possible to prevent family conflicts from making sure they never occur in the first place.
Estate Planning · March 01, 2024
It's easy to prioritize other business matters over estate planning when you're running a business. But, in reality, one of your most pressing responsibilities is to consider what would happen to your business if you became incapacitated or died. Although estate planning and business planning may be two distinct tasks, they're inevitably linked. And, because your company is likely your family's most valuable asset, estate planning is critical not only for your company, but also for your family.
Estate Planning · February 25, 2022
Whether you've met with an estate planning lawyer before or it's your first time, it's important to understand how working with us, your Personal Family Lawyer®, is different from meeting with a traditional lawyer. Here we'll explain what's involved with our process in hopes that it will inspire you to meet with us and get clear on what your family needs you to have in place, so you don't leave behind a mess if you become incapacitated or when you die.
Estate Planning · February 18, 2022
Divorce can be one of life's most stressful events. With so many major changes taking place, it's easy to forget to update your estate plan—or simply put it off until it's too late. After all, dealing yet with another lawyer is probably the last thing you want to do. However, neglecting to update your estate plan for divorce can have tragic consequences. And you shouldn't wait until the divorce is final to rework your plan—you should update it as soon as you realize the split is inevitable.
Business · February 08, 2022
If your company has (or plans to have) employees, a well-written employee handbook is an essential communication resource between you and your team. Your handbook ensures that your team is not only aware of your rules and policies, but also the federal and state laws governing their employment. It should reflect the way you do business, and whatever policies you include in it should be consistently enforced.
Estate Planning · February 04, 2022
Life insurance is a key component of your family’s estate plan, offering those who depend on you for their financial security a safety net in the event of your death. Whether those dependents include your spouse, children, aging parents, business associates, or all of the above, investing in life insurance is a way to say “I love you” and make certain that when you pass away, the people you love will have a reliable source of financial support to count on.
Estate Planning · January 28, 2022
As we head into the third year of the pandemic, we realize how fragile our lives and health are. If you haven't gotten sick, you certainly know someone who has died in the past two years. Yet even if you avoid getting sick right now, the fact remains that we're all vulnerable to severe illness or injury. And if you're a parent, the most frightening aspect is knowing that if something happens to you, your children would be left without you to care for them, whether temporarily or permanently.
Business · January 25, 2022
Whenever you have a partner or multiple owners in a business, one of the most important—but often overlooked—aspects of the relationship is planning for how it will end. It's crucial that you come up with a clear exit strategy, and do so at the start of your relationship when things are going well, and not wait until you encounter problems down the road. Indeed, the more thought you put into your exit plan ahead of time, the smoother things will be when one of you finally does move on.
Estate Planning · January 21, 2022
While the DIY approach might be a good idea if you're looking to build a new deck for your backyard, it's actually one of the worst choices you can make when it comes to estate planning. Are you willing to put your family's well-being and wealth at risk just to save a few bucks? If you want to do the right thing for those you truly love, contact your Personal Family Lawyer to get your Life and Legacy Planning started.
Estate Planning · January 14, 2022
Creating your estate plan using online document services can give you a false sense of security—you think you've got estate planning covered when you most likely do not. Keep in mind, just because you created "legal" estate planning documents online, that doesn't mean they'll work when you or your loved ones need them. Without a clear knowledge of your family dynamics, nature of your assets, and how the legal process works upon your incapacity or death, you're likely to make serious mistakes.