Writing your will is not a do-it-yourself project. Words are important. The words that are not in your will can be as important as those that are. That is one of the reasons you should not try to write your own will. Even pre-printed forms and computer programs can lead to problems. Take the case… Read More
Let’s take a boat to Bermuda Let’s take a plane to Saint Paul. Let’s take a kayak to Quincy or Nyack, Let’s get away from it all. – lyrics by Tom Adair and Matt Dennis Do you have a house at the shore? A condo in ski country? Time share in Florida? In just how… Read More
The answer seems to be, “of course.” Many of us think that Congress will do something to patch-up the estate tax before January 1, 2010 arrives and its time to “throw Momma from the train.” But maybe not. They may wait until well into 2010, maybe even October, or even later, and make the change… Read More
What, in the end, do we leave behind? Money? A house? Investments? All these are but fleeting and will come to nought. The only thing that lasts is the wisdom of a life – values, beliefs, lessons learned from life, dreams, and hopes for future generations. These things should be left to your children too… Read More
Read this article listing common misconceptions about estate planning. Hat tip to Greg Herman-Giddens at North Carolina Estate Planning Blog and author credit to Freya Shoffner.
We read a lot about Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, but what about Veterans’ Benefits? In addition to Disability Compensation for service-related disabilities, there is also a Disability Pension for non-service related disabilities. There are three levels of pension benefits: 1. Basic – Disabled Veteran unable to work 2. Housebound Disabled Veteran or surviving spouse… Read More
Congratulations to Attorney Richard E. Barnes on his book, “Estate Planning for Blended Families: Providing for Your Spouse and Children in a Second Marriage” (Nolo, $34.99). Mark Kanny of the TRIBUNE-REVIEW reviews the book: “A second marriage isn’t a just second marriage; given the complexities, it’s more like marriage squared, says author Richard E. Barnes.… Read More
How in the world can you get married accidentally? Read this story from the Des Moines Register click here. ” Iowa law recognizes so-called “common-law marriage.” In fact, the law already reads broadly, “A man or woman who was or is held out as the person’s spouse by a person by virtue of a common-law… Read More
Check out these weird will provisions: click here Hat Tip to The San Diego Estate Center
“Intellectual property” includes patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. This area of the law protects “ideas and works” against unauthorized use of this property by others. If you are an author, artist, or inventor, your creations may be your most valuable assets. You are probably aware that your need to protect your rights to your… Read More