Recent Blog Posts
Long-Term Care; Be Prepared in an Area of Uncertain Options
It’s flu season again, and the strain going around this year has been a difficult one, mainly because of how long it keeps its victims out of commission. So the article we recently found on Time.com about Long-Term Care seems particularly timely and relevant, if only because this year’s flu could be seen as… Read More »
How Do I Know If Someone Is Qualified To Help Me With My VA Application?
Applying for VA benefits can be both confusing and stressful. This is why it’s so important to make sure that the people who are helping you are both knowledgeable and qualified. Anyone can discuss VA benefits in general with a veteran. However, anyone who helps prepare an application for VA benefits or discuses specific… Read More »
Estate Tax Lessons from 2010 and Things to Watch Out for in 2011
We all know from the many news stories of last year that estate tax laws are not set in stone, they can fluctuate and change both at the state and the federal level; and as this article in Forbes points out, keeping up with those fluctuations can be of the utmost importance to you… Read More »
Minnesota Health Care Dispute Raises Fears for Everyone
As estate planning attorneys we help our clients plan ahead. We help them create the documents and take the legal action they need to protect themselves and those they love. We help them talk through painful possibilities, and support them as they make difficult decisions. We work to ensure that our clients and their… Read More »
Planning to Make Your Life Extraordinary
One of the best parts about doing the work that our firm does is that we get to help people evaluate their priorities and define for themselves what is truly important. Sometimes it’s too easy to get caught up in the day-to-day stresses and activities and to lose sight of what your true focus… Read More »
It’s Never Too Early to Make Your First Will
We’d like to share with our readers a recent article in Forbes entitled How To Write Your First Estate Plan. This article supports something we’ve been saying in our blog all along: That everyone needs a will—whether you’re a young couple just starting out, an established family with valuable assets to protect, or an… Read More »
Knowledge and Communication is Key to Avoiding Family Fights
Do your adult children know which of them will be your power of attorney if something happens to you? Most people don’t want to think about Alzheimer’s, dementia, or getting old; and those who have thought about it often choose to keep their wishes secret, their documents held under lock and key until the… Read More »
5 Essential Tips for Executors or Trustees
Serving as executor or trustee of a will or a trust is an honor… but it’s also a job—a BIG job—and not one to be taken lightly. The role of executor or trustee can be one of great financial power, but it carries with it a heavy fiduciary obligation. Fiduciary obligation means that an… Read More »
Non-Traditional Couples Face Estate Planning Challenges
The new estate tax laws (with their friendly bent toward the taxpayer) have been cause for celebration for many wealthy and affluent Americans, but there is at least one group which has not had cause to celebrate—gay and unmarried couples. Under current federal law, a married person could transfer an unlimited amount of their… Read More »
Making Plans for Aging at Home
There used to be very few options for seniors who began to have trouble living on their own. In many cases the only options available were to move in with family or move into a nursing home. Now, however, that doesn’t have to be the case. With new advancements in technology, the help of… Read More »