Many believe Sweetheart Wills and Trusts will provide for their spouse after they are gone. But, are they the best option when thinking long term? What happens to the life savings when the surviving spouse enters a nursing care facility? In this Elder Law Minute, Wes Coulson discusses the problems with Sweetheart Wills and Trusts and how leaving your […]
Finally – Some New Year’s Resolutions you can Keep!
Estate Planning and Asset Preservation Planning The problem with most New Year’s resolutions is that they usually end up being just too darn hard to keep. Sure, I definitely want to lose some weight, but gosh, those brownies do look tempting! Sure, I want to spend less time watching sports on TV, but now there’s […]
What Your Will Doesn’t Cover (and Why It Matters So Much)
It’s a commonly-held belief that if you have a will, its terms will determine how your estate will be distributed when you die. But in many cases, that’s far from true. A will only covers assets that are not the subject of their own self-contained plan for distribution. As it turns out, that covers a lot […]
“Documents Only, Not Legal Advice”
The internet purveyors of legal documents are always very careful to note, in their seemingly ubiquitous commercials, that they offer document services only, and not legal advice. We recently submitted for filing, in a Missouri court, the Will of someone who had utilized a form provided by one of those document services. It probably seemed […]
Probate and Loss of Privacy
In this Elder Law Minute, Wes Coulson discusses probate and the loss of privacy that occurs for those involved with a will in probate. Since a will in probate is made a matter of public record, anyone can find out what the will says, the names and addresses of the beneficiaries, and an inventory of the […]