Blogs

You know you should prepare for certain health and medical contingencies such as incapacitation or terminal illness and make it clear whether you want resuscitation or not. But it’s hard to sort through all the confusing medical terms and legal jargon. One particular area of confusion is that surrounding a living will vs. advance directive. Broadly speaking, an advance directive… Read More

A living will and a last will and testament are both wills, so on the face of it there doesn't seem to be a lot of difference. But they are different – with very different purposes and taking effect at different times. For example, a living will declares your wishes concerning life support in the event of severe incapacitation (such as coma… Read More

The right time to get a living will is well, right now. Many experts recommend that even if you are only in you late teens or early twenties, you should still have a living will. It's not something we like to think about while we're still fairly young, but catastrophic accidents and incapacitating illnesses do happen. So the best time… Read More

Why should you choose a lawyer who specializes in estate planning? For the same reason you should choose an orthopedic surgeon, and not a general practitioner, when you need, say, a hip replacement. When it comes to the assets you've worked hard to accumulate the well being and future security of your family, you need a lawyer who specializes in… Read More

Becoming more common in the last few years, an advance medical directive – as well as a living will, which is a species of the directive – delineates your wishes primarily concerning medical care in the case of a terminal condition or severe incapacitation. The purpose is to clearly indicate what you want before you are unable to make decisions… Read More

The primary benefit of estate planning – and a will in particular, especially a living will – is the peace of mind that comes with knowing your wishes will be honored and carried according to your stated instructions. You can usually be confident that your loved ones will be taken care of and your heirs will receive what they are… Read More

If asked why you need an estate plan, you probably know all the standard answers: to distribute your assets according to your wishes, to avoid probate, to appoint a guardian for minor children, and so on. You know that the primary goal of estate planning is to protect your family and your assets. But sound, thorough estate planning doesn't end… Read More

When you die, the debts you leave behind become the responsibility of your estate, which is everything you owned at the time of passing. Most people want to leave a good portion of their estate, their assets, to heirs. But without sound estate planning, paying off debts can eat up a substantial amount of your estate, leaving little to nothing… Read More

The grief and emotional trauma are already enough to deal with. But if someone close to you has passed and you are responsible for the estate administration, you will have much more to deal with. And most of it is highly involved and legally complex – and the attached responsibility can seem overwhelming. Estate administration generally has three parts: 1)… Read More

If you don't take care of it beforehand, if you don't exercise a little foresight and forethought, everything will be taken out of you and your family's hands. The courts will swoop in and take over. So it makes eminent sense to have a power of attorney before you actually need it. What Is a Power of Attorney? Very broadly… Read More