For most people, the foundation of any estate plan begins with creating a Last Will and Testament. Although you may eventually expand your estate plan to include a wide variety of additional estate planning tools and strategies, your Will should remain an important part of your estate plan. If you are creating a Will for the first time it is always best to work closely with an … read more
Wills and Trusts
Can’t I Just Use a DIY Will?
You have been told by well-meaning family members and friends how important it is for you to have a least a basic Last Will and Testament in place. Despite this, you have yet to create and execute your Will. Maybe it’s because you haven’t had the time to see an attorney and get started, or possibly because you don’t want to spend the money on an attorney – or maybe a combination of both. … read more
Creating a Trust — The Top Five Things You Need to Know
A well thought out and complete estate plan will do far more than simply create a road map for the distribution of your estate assets when you die. Exactly what additional components you include in your plan will depend on what you strive to accomplish with your estate plan. Regardless of what your estate planning goals are, you will undoubtedly need to utilize additional tools and … read more
Reading of the Will
It is not uncommon for people who talk to an estate planning attorney to ask questions about the reading of the will. After all, all of us have seen countless television shows and movies where attorneys gather together family members of a deceased person to read the terms of that person's last will and testament. This reading of the will is often an opportunity for dramatic turns in the … read more
Wills Through Walmart?
Last year, several Walmart stores in Canada began offering customers the chance to buy low-cost legal services. The stores have rented space to a law firm that provides quick, cheap legal services to shoppers in much the same way the pharmacy offers prescription medications. The services offered include notarization of documents and the drawing up of simple wills. The law firm offering … read more
Does Everyone Need a Revocable Living Trust?
Does everyone need a revocable living trust as a part of their overall estate plan? With all the attention living trusts have received in the last several years, many people naturally assume that they must have one of these estate planning tools. The answer to this conundrum, however, is not that simple. There are many situations in which a living trust is likely not an appropriate … read more
Living Trust Tip Sheet
A revocable living trust is often a centerpiece of estate plans created by people in the Greensboro, North Carolina area. The idea of a revocable living trust is relatively simple. It's essentially a separate legal entity you can create that has the ability to own property. When you use the trust to transfer inheritances after you die, you allow your trust to avoid, or at the very least … read more
Last Will Tip Sheet
People who develop an estate plan in the Greensboro, North Carolina area will almost always include a last will and testament as a part of their plan. The process of creating a will is relatively straightforward. While your estate planning lawyer will tell you what you have to do to make a legal last will, there are some tips you can keep in mind to make sure that you make responsible, … read more
Using a Living Trust to Replace a Will
Sometimes, people ask estate planning attorneys if they can use their living trust to replace a last will and testament. While these types of questions are understandable, they reflect a misunderstanding about what each of these essential estate planning tools do. Both a living trust and a last will and testament are key pieces of any estate plan. Each of them serve specific purposes, … read more
Understanding Will Gift Types
Part of creating a will in North Carolina is deciding on the types of gifts you want to leave. Most people who create a will do not have a background in the law, and they simply want to leave gifts that they feel are fair and appropriate. There are different types of gifts that you can leave through your last will and testament. Choosing the right type of gift is important, especially … read more
