A trust is not a perfect solution. What it does if properly implimented is a great solution to most concerns and questions. But properly implimneted is the key phrase. It has been pointed out by attorneys and other experts that there are three problems with a Trust. First, it needs to be executed properly which…
Author: Steve Fine
Option Two – A Revocable Living Trust
In a previous lesson we learned that there are only two documents that are recognized by the courts when a person dies. Either you have a will which you had written or one given to you by the state in which you live, or you have set up a Trust. There are a variety of…
Living Probate – Better Safe Than Sorry
The story of Terry Schivo brings home the need we all have to prepare for the unexpected. Terry was 27 years old when she collapsed in her apartment, beginning a 15 year struggle between the courts, family, the state of Florida, the federal government and the Roman Catholic church. It filled the news and became…
Why I Choose to Not Get a Will
When my mother died unexpectedly at age 54 we learned she had taken some steps in preparation for what all of us will inevitably face at some point- we are all going to die. In an easy to find location we found the Will she had written through her attorney friend. A few days after…
You only have three options – so why make it a big deal?
When life gives you many options – then you truly have some things to consider. It is probably for this reason that we see more people lingering longer at the ice cream freezers than in any other aisle in the store – so many delicious choices!! But when it comes to end of life planning…
Estate Planning – Why Bother? Its a Head thing & a Heart thing
Let’s work our way down, starting from the brain, the logic center that deals with figures and facts. Facts – we are all going to die. Along the way some of us may be injured or ill. Many of us will live well into our 80s and 90s, but need care for daily activities.…
The Best Gift
The best gift we could ever give a loved one is a phone number. They say that diamonds are forever and flowers create emotions. While these are both true I want to suggest that when you care the most you provide a hand to hold and a shoulder to lean on. I’m married. I have…
A sad story of a lost gift
A disappointing phone call came in today. Not the first time I had heard these same words. An appointment I had made with Ms Smith (not her real name) was being canceled. She explained that her son and her nephew had told her she didn’t need an Estate Plan. Something they had done with her…
Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid
We are all going to die. This is not a bad thing. It is a part of life. Ideally we should all die in our sleep of old age after having watched our children grow, played with all our grandchildren and love and be loved in wonderful and fulfilling ways. But this is out of…