When you make your estate plan, dividing assets equally is often the easiest approach. You can split up family heirlooms on a case-by-case basis, and you can divide financial assets evenly between multiple beneficiaries. If you are leaving tangible assets, like a home...
Probating an estate can drag out for a year or more, depending on its complexity. Meanwhile, your heirs may be struggling financially until the assets are disbursed. There is a way to avoid some of the wait, however. It involves establishing a Totten trust. Read more...
You have been thinking about filing for a divorce, but you are somewhat hesitant to do so. You are worried about the impact that is going to have on your life, especially since you know that your spouse will likely be unhappy to hear that you are thinking about ending...
You are making an estate plan and choosing beneficiaries to whom you want to leave an inheritance. For many of the beneficiaries, this is a simple process. You are just leaving them financial assets in your will, and they will receive the money after you pass away....
Medicaid is a needs-based insurance program for those with below-average income. States use federal funding to provide health insurance to people who cannot afford care or even private health insurance coverage. Medicaid can help people in all stages of life, but it...
If you want to leave a gift or an inheritance to a child or grandchild with special needs, it’s important to consider that it may do more harm than good. This is because, to continue being eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a beneficiary generally must...
Many estates move smoothly through the probate courts. The family members of the deceased individual may have talked with them about their testamentary intentions before their passing, so there is minimal controversy. Other times, people expecting to inherit from the...
The estate administration process involves an array of legal and financial responsibilities. It is often overwhelming for first-timers who are suddenly in charge of someone else's property. If you were named as executor in a will or appointed by the court, you must...
Family law mediation offers a structured, confidential way for separating or divorcing couples to resolve disputes outside of court. Guided by a neutral mediator, parties can discuss sensitive issues, explore options and reach mutually acceptable agreements. The...
A payable-on-death (POD) account, also referred to as a Totten trust, is essentially a financial account with a beneficiary designation. You may have a POD account at your bank with $10,000 in it, for example, and you have named one of your adult children as the...
