Planning for Success October’s Edition: Single Individuals without children need an Estate Plan too!     More and more people are delaying, if not totally foregoing a life that involves marriage and parenting.  For many young adults, staying single and childless is simply a matter of choice.  Regardless of the reason, as more individuals opt for non-traditional lifestyles, the number of single childless households is likely to steadily increase in the coming years.  Most do not take estate planning as seriously as they should.  If you are single without any children, you may not think you need to worry about developing an estate plan, but the reality is that it can be more important for those individuals to have a proper estate plan in place.       If you are single, you face a myriad of potential estate planning complications that are not an issue for those who are married with children. ...

When was the last time you reviewed your Estate Plan?   Even if you have a sound estate plan in place, it canbe worthless for the people you love ifnot regularly reviewed nor kept up to date.  Most people believe their estate plan is done when they sign a will, trust, power of attorney or a living will, but estate planning is a lifelong process.  Your life will inevitably evolve as changes to laws, assets, family, and goals happen.  In absence of any major life events, we recommend reviewing your estate plan annually to ensure it is current and still reflects your desires. These are the four questions that you should ask yourself during an Estate Checkup. Has your family or household changed?   Marriage: Marriage instantly changes your legal status.  Regardless of whether it is your first marriage or fifth, you must take the proper steps to ensure your estate plan...

Planning for Success: Steve McNair’s Colossal Fumble Estate Planning is commonly believed to only benefit wealthy and older individuals, when in fact all stages of life can utilize certain aspects and strategies of estate planning.  One could infer that estate planning is of greater significance for younger adults than it is for older ones.  This is due to younger adults often having dependent children that will require care for the foreseeable future.  If you are a parent of a minor child, how would the unexpected disappearance of you or your spouse impact your family?  Are your assets appropriately titled to avoid freezing your estate and probate?  While estate planning is often thought to be a scary process, it is not something to fear.  By acting today, our team of seasoned professionals can develop an effective strategy to seamlessly transfer your property; thus, allowing you to continue to provide for the individuals...

Having a will or a trust is essential, but it is only effective if upon your demise, the documents can be located in a timely manner.  The family of Florence Griffith Joyner found themselves in this predicament.    Florence Griffith Joyner was a famous American track and field star, whom most notably, won three gold medals and a silver in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea.   Florence broke records in both 100 and 200 meters, earning her the nickname Flo Jo, for being the fastest woman of all time.  She was only 38 years old when she passed away in her sleep from an epileptic seizure.  Florence had taken the basic steps to ensure that her wishes would be fulfilled by a will.  Unfortunately, her husband could not locate the will and was therefore unable to file it within the required 30 days of her death per California...