One of the biggest obstacles that people seem to come up against when thinking about drawing up a Will or making some plans for retirement is uncertainty about the process. It’s common to avoid things that make us nervous, and many people put off calling an attorney about their estate plan because they don’t even… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Parents of Minor Children
Do You Have a Safe List for Your Children?
Inspiration comes from interesting places. I was reading a blog post a while back that I thought was just a post by a mother about how she doesn’t like to leave her children with many people, only those on her “safe list.”. The comment section was filled with other mothers agreeing with this and talking… Continue Reading
Planning Considerations for Blended Families
Every family has their own particular needs and wants when it comes to putting wills and other legal documents in place. Today’s post is about the things you need to think about if you are putting an estate plan in place and not all of the children in the plan are children of the current… Continue Reading
Emergency Procedures for Care Providers
If you are heading out this holiday season (or any time) and leaving your children with a relative or babysitter, here’s a handy emergency contact form as well as some tips on what the care provider should do in an emergency. Download by clicking this link: CareProviderEmergencyProcedures. The document will open as a PDF with… Continue Reading
Estate Planning Changes and Children
If you first drafted your estate plan before you had children, you need to change your Wills and other estate planning documents after the birth or adoption of your children. Here is the list of questions I provide to my clients when they have a new child to help guide them through the changes… Continue Reading
Are Godparents and Guardians The Same Thing?
When we were little I remember knowing my aunt and uncle were our “godparents.” We though this meant that if something happened to our parents, we’d go and live with them. (I also remember thinking that living with our cousins sounded very exciting, not quite realizing what would have occurred to make that necessary.) These… Continue Reading
Why Do I Need A Trust?
I sometimes forget that clients cannot read my mind. We will be talking about their estate plan and making sure that their minor or disabled children are provided for and I’ll mention the word “trust.” I mean in the general sense of “a person (the trustee) holding property for the benefit of another (the beneficiary.)”… Continue Reading
Estate Planning After Divorce – Can I Choose A Guardian?
One of the most important parts of an estate plan for a family with minor children is selecting the guardian to care for the children if both parents pass away. This decision can be stressful for intact families, and seemingly impossible for parents who are no longer together. No matter which parent is in my… Continue Reading
Estate Planning After Divorce – Who Handles The Money?
If I am divorced and I pass away, does my child’s other parent automatically get any money I leave to my children? This is a common question from my clients, and something that often holds people up from making a plan. The simple answer is: not necessarily. The more complete answer is below. Check the… Continue Reading
Action Item – Guardians for Your Minor Children
Some people get overwhelmed with the idea of getting their affairs in order and as a result find it easier to do nothing. To help people with that inertia, I'll be posting weekly Action Items – little steps that take an hour or less that will move you forward in the process and make it… Continue Reading