If you’re in the midst of a divorce, you know what an overwhelming experience it is. Divorce disrupts every facet of life, including your estate plan. Yet, when you’re dealing with emotional and difficult issues involving your kids, your finances, your home, your family and social connections, it’s understandable that updating your estate plan can fall to the bottom of your priority list. But divorcing couples 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 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
I Don’t Have Young Kids, So Why Do I Need an Estate Plan? Part 2
Last month, we shared the first part of our series on the importance of estate planning for those without young children. If you haven’t read it yet, you can do so here. In part two, we discuss the other risks involved for those who forego estate planning. Someone will have power over your health care Estate planning isn’t just about passing on your assets when you die. In fact, some of the most critical parts of Read More
5 Common Estate Planning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Since estate planning involves thinking about death, many people put it off until their senior years, or simply ignore it all together, until it becomes too late. This kind of unwillingness to face reality can create major hardship, expense, and mess for the loved ones you leave behind. While not having any estate plan is the biggest blunder you can make, even those who do create a plan can run into trouble if they Read More
Lessons learned from an Emergency: He Said
Back in January, my wife, Paula wrote about my holiday adventure with the emergency room (ER.) In response to that email, I received an outpouring of ‘get well’ wishes from concerned clients. When I started this firm (20 years ago this year,) I wanted to build a firm that valued client relationships, one where I would not only be a valuable resource to my clients, but someone to whom my clients could turn in times Read More
Learning from our Crisis: An Estate Planning Attorney in the ER- She Said
I’m writing today with a new sense of purpose and urgency about what we do here at The Parents Estate Planning Law Firm. David was in the hospital over the week of Christmas. For 5 days. He lost 24 lbs in two weeks and was in and out of the emergency room, before finally being admitted the Friday before New Year’s Day. I can honestly say it was one of the scariest weeks of our lives. And we were prepared – at least 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
