Rochester Estate Planning Law Blog
Do you need to establish an Article 81 guardianship for a parent?
Caring for your parents in their later years can be emotionally difficult. Older adults can often display the same kind of stubbornness and single-minded focus seen in young children, particularly in cases involving cognitive decline due to Alzheimer's or dementia....
3 ways to pass business to family
An owner’s business is their life’s work. That work deserves careful planning to keep it intact for the family members who potentially own and run that business. As an owner, you want to find the most risk-averse strategy for transferring your business to your family....
The benefits of an irrevocable trust
When forming a trust, many people opt for a revocable arrangement. This means that you can alter or dissolve the trust during your lifetime. An irrevocable trust doesn’t have this advantage. But it comes with a different set of benefits that makes it worth...
Consider this document as a loving gift to aging parents
The holiday season is a time for giving and enjoying the company of our loved ones. But they are also a time when unscrupulous people try to take advantage of the generosity of others, especially older citizens. The World Health Organization estimates that one out of...
Failing to grasp end-of-life care may leave it out of your hands
You may think that estate planning is all about what happens to your assets after you pass. While directing assets may be important, you could be helping your family through an even more trying time when they might need your help the most. Two-thirds of Americans...
How can estate planning help prevent family disputes?
You may trust your family to be reasonable about how you divide your inheritance. But after you pass away, you won’t be around to prevent any fights. However, you can minimize conflict by creating an estate plan. Estate planning is much more than just writing your...
3 benefits of setting up a revocable trust
Estate plans include numerous documents that ensure the safety and security of your family’s future. One option that you can choose as part of your estate plan is a revocable trust. A revocable trust is a document that outlines how your estate gets distributed and...
Why can probate take so long?
The loss of a parent, spouse or loved one is rarely easy even under the best of circumstances. Ideally, the deceased worked with an experienced estate law attorney to draft a thoughtful will or trust, but there may still be delays in the probate process regardless of...
Mental health care directives give patients more control
Advance health directives let you say what you want to happen and not happen if you are ever in an extreme medical situation and unable to speak for yourself. They usually include specific instructions and name a person you want making decisions for you. Anybody can...
Expecting a child is a great time to start estate planning
Expecting parents typically have a to-do list, and even lists of to-do lists, to prepare for the new family member. Even so, most feel less anxious if they give estate planning a prime spot near the top of their pre-baby agenda. Buying life insurance comes first for a...
