One of the most popular reasons why families contact me for estate planning is that they have small children at home. Often, the conversations go like this: “We just had a baby, do you do trusts? I think that’s what I need, right?” “I wrote my will and left everything to my husband and kids. That’s all…
“Probate is a lawsuit you file against yourself, using your own money, for the sole benefit of your creditors.” You may have heard of probate. But for those who have been through it, the very mention of the word usually brings up a string of nightmares all rolled into one. Probate is the name given…
For those of you interested in creating a trust, you may have been told that one of the most important things to do after creating your trust is to fund it properly. If you don’t, it’s like having an empty box. The term “funding a trust” refers to the process by which you change all…
A will is just one tool in the tool-belt of an estate planning attorney. Like any tool, it works great for the right purpose. But if you apply the tool in the wrong way, it won’t help very much – and sometimes it might even ruin what you’re trying to build. The same is true…
Clean Burials: New Mushroom Suit Removes Body Toxins If you have ever wondered about the impact your body will have on the environment when you are gone, you are not alone. Traditional burial and cremation both present significant environmental challenges. When traditional burial is used, embalming fluid—typically a formaldehyde cocktail—is injected into the body to…
Minimizing the Risk of Employee Departure You’ve worked hard to build your business. You’ve developed products or services and the processes, policies, and strategies which drive them. So what do you do when a key employee tells you he/she will be leaving? How do you protect the business systems you’ve worked so hard to develop?…
Personal Growth As A Path to Supporting Your Business’s Financial Growth Many businesses can be started with a small financial investment. Online consignment, pet-sitting, and rideshare driver are just a few. But to grow your business, you need not just capital but internal insight. You need to understand just what makes you tick, otherwise the…
Your Family Business Legacy Matters Enough to Do These Three Things Your family-owned and run business can be the greatest gift or the greatest burden to the people you love, if and when something happens to you. If you’ve planned well and properly for your family business legacy to be continued, managed or sold, it…
The Benefits of a Business Succession Plan When most people think about planning for death, they envision personal estate planning. But even if you are already proactive in that area, you may not be finished if you own a business. A business succession plan is at least as important as a personal estate plan, maybe…
Conscious Money Challenge: Know How You Are Invested If you have money invested in the stock market, whether through a retirement account or a straight brokerage account, I challenge you today to find out exactly what your money is invested in and make a conscious choice about what you are supporting in the world. If…
Teach Children Open-mindedness and Embracing Differences When you picture a “normal” family, what do you see? Is it the traditional notion of one male parent and one female parent, two kids, and a family pet? Or do you see something different? Or perhaps you reject the notion of a “normal” family altogether? Recent court and…
Become More Successful by Recharging on Weekends The “work hard, play hard” attitude has infiltrated American sportswear and music. And it can also be applied to our attitudes about the balance between our professional and personal lives. A study from Stanford University examined the effect of working long hours on productivity. The results may surprise…
Common Ways to Finance a Small Business If you have decided to take the plunge into the world of small business, you are likely evaluating finance options. Most businesses require some initial influx to cover startup costs. Before you embark on the exciting journey of owning a small business, however, it is important that you…
Passing Down Family Values from Generation to Generation Most of us want to make a mark in the world. That’s a big part of what gives our lives meaning. And whether or not we have children, our history and stories can be a unique and irreplaceable gift to our families. With just a little effort,…
Why You Should Write Your Life Story How often do you wish you knew more about your family? When we’re young, we don’t necessarily pay attention to the stories our elders tell us. Later in life, we often become interested in knowing who and where we come from. We want to learn more about what…
For instance, Queen Latifah Cares for Her Aging Parents We may not think about it often, but even celebrities take care of their aging parents. Actress, singer, and songwriter Queen Latifah plays an active role in caring for her mother, Rita Owens, who was diagnosed with heart failure more than 10 years ago. Owens learned…
Signing Up for Medicare: The Facts For You or Your Parents Nearing Age 65 People who are nearing the age of 65 should be making plans for the transition from private health care to Medicare. It is not a simple process or one that happens automatically. You have to initiate the enrollment process at a…
Grow Through Failure—A Gift That Keeps On Giving Laws and rules are created within organized societies to regulate interaction and protect citizens. A classic example is the American system of traffic laws. They are designed to promote consistent traffic flow while reducing accidents. When everyone understands how a four-way stop works, expectations follow. We learn…
When Is It Worth It? Elder Care is emerging as a significant issue for many people as life spans continue to increase. It is nice to know that because of health care advances, we can expect to live longer, but there are no included guarantees on the quality of life in the later years. Many…
Support Your Child’s Ultimate Success If you are like most parents, your primary objective is to support your children to be prepared to handle the pressures of adulthood. If you have wondered what the most important thing you can do to support your child now, this article has your answers and it may not be…
We want you to feel comfortable discussing your legal issue with us, so we offer a free consultation to learn about your problem. Contact us today to setup a time to come in and talk with our team.