Did you know that October 21-28 is “National Estate Planning Awareness Week?" Estate planning is an often overlooked area of personal financial management. By some estimates, 70% of American parents do not have an estate plan! Most mistakenly hear the word “estate” and assume “estate planning” is just for the Bill Gates, Elon Musks, or Warren Buffets of the world. Estate planning, however, is for Read More
Making Plans with Your New Grad in Mind
Congratulations! Your child has recently graduated high school or college and is ready to start moving out on their own! While this stage of life certainly comes with many mixed emotions, most parents are proud to see their children entering adulthood and “leaving the nest.” You’ll certainly have some extra free time (and quite possibly, extra free money) in the years to come! Time and money aside, you still want to Read More
The Dangers of Legal DIY: When Something is NOT Better Than Nothing
Go online, and you’ll find tons of websites offering do-it-yourself estate planning documents. Such forms are typically quite inexpensive. Simple wills, for example, are often priced under $50, and you can complete and print them out in a matter of minutes. In our uber-busy lives and DIY culture, it’s no surprise that this kind of thing might seem like a good deal. You know estate planning is important, and even Read More
Frequently Asked Estate Planning Questions- National Estate Planning Awareness Week
I hope you've enjoyed reading and learning about estate planning during National Estate Planning Awareness Week. We believe that knowledge is powerful and being prepared is liberating- and we appreciate you, area parents, for partnering with us in our mission to educate families - especially young families - about the importance of planning. To wrap up the week, I'd like to take a moment to summarize everything Read More
What is Your “Plan C?” Reflecting on Schoharie
It’s not an easy discussion. But, we have a responsibility to have it. In fact, I believe that one of my most solemn duties as a parent is to make sure that my children are protected, always. Even in the event of my death. As an the Client Services Director of an estate planning law firm, it is also my responsibility to educate parents about planning for the worst, while they are young and healthy. Even if the Read More
What You Should Know About Guardianship—In Case A Parent or Loved One Becomes Incapacitated
Whether through illness, injury, or other means, anyone can require a guardian to become appointed if they become mentally incapacitated. In such cases, if there is no estate planning in place (or insufficient planning) to keep family or other loved one’s out of court, a guardianship, or conservatorship as it is sometimes called, must be established via a court process in the county probate court. Obtaining Read More
Advice for the “Sandwich Generation”
July is Sandwich Generation month. Now that I've got you thinking about turkey BLTs or meatball subs, I have to break it to you (though I bet you can already guess,) this article isn't about food. So what is the Sandwich Generation? The average age of parents raising children in the US continues to rise, leaving many middle-aged Americans in a category commonly referred to as the the “sandwich” generation: often Read More
Frequently Asked Estate Planning Questions- National Estate Planning Awareness Week 2017
I hope you've enjoyed National Estate Planning Awareness Week as much as we have! It's our mission to ensure that every child in the Commonwealth is protected -no matter what- and we appreciate you, area parents, for partnering with us in this mission, as you make educated, loving choices regarding estate planning for your family. To wrap up the week, I'd like to take a moment to summarize everything we've covered Read More
Building a Strong Blended Family Through Legal Planning
Yours, mine and ours … in today’s modern family, it’s more common than not! The blended family is the product of 2nd (or more) marriages, in which one or more of the parties comes with children from a prior marriage. And then, they may go on to have children together. If you have or are part of a blended family, it’s important to understand how estate planning could be exactly what you need to keep your family out Read More
Financial, Legal Planning for Unmarried Couples: Should You Legally Marry or Not?
While the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision to legalize same-sex marriage in the U.S. making it possible for people of all sexual orientations to marry, many modern couples (of all genders and sexual orientation) still choose not to marry. If you and your partner are deciding whether or not to legally get married, be sure to consider these important factors: Legal Protections If you are partnered and Read More
