And Make Sure That Your Assets Don’t Accidentally End Up In the Hands of your Soon-to-Be Ex!
If you have gone through, or are in the middle of a divorce, updating your wills, trusts, healthcare directives and other estate planning documents is probably the last thing on your mind.View Post
Category: Planning for Yourself and Your Family
Wills and Living Trusts
Will
As a general rule, nearly all estate plans include a Will, which is generally a list of instructions for how you want your property distributed at your death.
Simply having a Will does not avoid probate. A Will gives the court instructions on which people should get which assets,View Post
Choosing A Power of Attorney
Who is the Right Person to Manage Your Assets?
When you sign a general power of attorney, you authorize someone to manage financial matters on your behalf either immediately or in the event that you are unable to do so yourself, depending on which you prefer. You know to choose someoneView Post
Step-Family Estate Planning
Double the In-laws, Double the Fun;
An Introduction to the Art of Step-Family Estate Planning
I’ve been the proud patriarch of a step-family for over seven years. I would not have spent the last 85 months any other way, but it is amazing how fast these 371 weeks have flown by. MostView Post
Staying Independent As You Grow Older (With an Estate Plan)
A new movement is making headway with seniors today. Record numbers of Baby Boomers are participating in triathlons, traveling the globe, starting their own companies from scratch, creating new social circles and in general being much more active than their own parents and grandparents. But that’s not all these seniors are doing. The Demand Institute surveyed over 4000 Baby Boomer households (50-69 year olds), and found an interesting pattern emerging.View Post
Incorporating Intangible Assets into Your West Michigan Estate Planning
Will and estate lawyers in West Michigan are charged with a number of tasks when it comes to wealth management, retirement planning, and setting up wills and trusts. For the most part, clients are concerned with their money and other assets, which makes sense. After all, no one really wants to pay more taxes than are necessary, and it’s important to pass on family money and heirlooms.View Post
Bad Estate Planning Decisions Can Be a Royal Pain
It seems that nearly everyone is paying attention to the lives of the British royal family, and now estate planning lawyers have their interest piqued, too. In September, Prince Harry—Princess Diana’s youngest son—turned 30. With his birthday came access to the rest of his inheritance from his late mother. It’s not his birthday that is of such interest, but the fact that Princess Diana had clearly expressed her desire that he receive her assets five years ago.View Post
Three Grandville Estate Planning Myths: True or False
Estate planning lawyers eat, sleep, and breathe estate planning and see pretty much every kind of situation unfold. Clearly, individuals who have taken the time to create a solid estate plan nearly always fare better than those who do not. Still, there are a whole lot of myths and misunderstandings floating around that stop people from making the choice to protect their futures with an estate planning lawyer’s assistance.View Post
7 Signs that It’s Time to Update Your Estate Plan
So, you and your estate planning lawyer have put together a great plan for you. Congratulations! You are ahead of the majority of the population already. Keep in mind, however, that even though the hard part is done, there is some maintenance that you and your attorney will want to do from time to time. Your life and circumstances will likely change over the years, and you’ll want your estate plan to change accordingly.View Post
Grand Rapids Will Lawyer Says, “Make Sure Your Step Children are Cared for in Your Estate Planning”
For those who love their stepchildren as their own, it may come as a surprise that this bond isn’t enough when it comes to estate planning in Michigan. Because of the laws of inheritance, stepchildren do not automatically inherit when a stepparent dies.View Post
