Question 1: What is a fiduciary? As part of the estate planning process you will probably have to appoint one or more fiduciaries. A fiduciary is someone who not only has the legal authority to make certain types of decisions for you, but who also has a specific duty imposed upon them by the law. Fiduciaries include your attorney, accountant, financial advisor, real estate agent, and … read more
wills
3 Questions About Will and Living Will Registries
Question 1: What is a living will or a will registry? People who create last wills and testaments and living wills in Greensboro, North Carolina, have to make sure that these documents comply with all relevant state law. Some states, such as North Carolina, provide residents with the ability to file some of these important documents with a state office. You can file any advance health … read more
I’ve Made a Last Will. How Long Does it Last?
One of the great things about creating a last will and testament in Greensboro, North Carolina, is that the document has no expiration date. As long as you make a will and ensure that it complies with all North Carolina laws, your will can last as long as you need it to. Here’s what you need to know. Creation When you create a last will you create a legal document that states your … read more
Revoking Your North Carolina Will
If you have made a will in Greensboro, North Carolina and have ever wondered how to change or revoke it, North Carolina law allows you several options. While revoking the will is entirely your choice, there are several reasons why you may want to do this. Most people will revoke an old will after they change their minds about its terms or experience a change in circumstances that … read more
3 Practical Tips For Witnessing a Will
Tip 1: Sign everything at the same time. When you create a last will and testament in Greensboro, North Carolina, you will need to be able to sign the document in the presence of two or more competent adult witnesses. To do this, it is always best to assemble everyone in the same room at the same time so all of you can sign the document in one another’s presence. This event is often … read more
Doctors Choose Advance Directives More Often Than Their Patients
Anyone who has thought about creating an estate plan in Greensboro, North Carolina has probably considered creating a living will or other type of advance medical directive. Living wills are very different than last wills and testaments, and address your medical wishes not your property choices. Yet only about 20% of the general population has taken the required steps to create medical … read more
Pregnant in Greensboro? You Need to Start Thinking About Estate Planning
With everything else that comes after learning that you’re pregnant, it’s easy for most women to forget about estate planning concerns. The fact is, most people don’t develop an estate plan at all, much less after they learned they are pregnant. Yet there are some decidedly important concerns you need to address if you’re pregnant, as well as if you’ve already given birth. Appoint the … read more
North Carolina, Common Law Marriage, and Estate Planning
Creating a will in Greensboro, North Carolina, requires you to make some important decisions in light of both what you own and what the law requires. Whenever you make a will you must, for example, consider how much your spouse is entitled to inherit upon your death. This includes whether you entered into a common-law marriage or a more traditional marriage with a marriage license and … read more
Estate Planning Basics: The Differences Between Wills and Trusts
When people in Greensboro, North Carolina want to create a will, they often hear from their estate planning attorney that a trust is, for many situations, a much better option. While you may have heard of a trust before, you may not exactly know how they operate or why they can be beneficial. It’s best to speak to your lawyer about the different kinds of trusts and how you can use them, … read more
Some Estate Planning Issues Are Easy to Overlook
Creating a will in Greensboro, North Carolina, is not typically very difficult. As long as you are honest with your estate planning attorney and know what you want to accomplish, a will is a relatively easy legal document to create. However, there are some issues that many people creating a will sometimes overlook. This is especially true if you use do-it-yourself estate planning and … read more
