Planning for the future is a crucial step in ensuring your loved ones are cared for and your assets are distributed according to your wishes. When it comes to estate planning, two of the most common tools are wills and trusts. Understanding the differences between these legal instruments and their respective...
We often see television episodes where wealthy people are depicted accessing their trust funds to keep up with their spending habits. We might imagine that trust funds are only part of the vocabulary of wealthy people. But despite what we might think, trusts are not only for wealthy...
Are you concerned about having enough assets to care for yourself or your loved ones as you age and might be in need of assistance for your medical expenses, as well as your daily long-term care living situation? There is planning that can be done with the help of experienced elder...
If you have circumstances where you’d like to guide the use of your assets for the foreseeable future after your death, then you should consider creating a revocable trust. Unlike an irrevocable trust, you can revoke or amend a revocable trust at any time without seeking anyone’s permission to do so. In...
A trust is often an essential part of a comprehensive estate plan. Trusts offer several benefits, including the avoidance of probate, which can be an expensive and lengthy process. In addition, there are several types of trusts available in Kentucky, each of which offers specific benefits to grantors and beneficiaries. In...
Many people are under the impression that a last will and testament is all that is needed when it comes to estate planning. Unfortunately, however, a will by itself sometimes isn’t enough. Instead, most people require a comprehensive plan that consists of several estate planning documents. One key estate planning tool is...
Estate planning is the most important thing you can do for your family’s future. Even if you don’t have many assets, there are multiple benefits to executing an estate plan. Of all the estate planning documents, two most common are wills and trusts. In this article, we examine wills and trusts...
While everyone should have a durable power of attorney that appoints someone to act for them if they become incapacitated, in some circumstances, it is not enough. In these cases, a revocable trust can help.
A durable power of attorney allows you to appoint someone you...
If you have a Special Needs child or loved one, a Special Needs Trust may allow you to leave them an inheritance without disqualifying them for public benefits (for example SSI or Medicaid).
Creating this type of Trust for someone else is called a Third Party...
Check out this great article (featuring our own, Josh Berkley!) for insight into how debt is treated upon death. This is just one of the many issues on which estate and probate attorney Josh Berkley provides personal consultation as part of our estate planning services.
As always,...
