Resources

Can I Make a Testamentary Gift to Someone Who Witnesses My Will?

A testamentary gift to a beneficiary who is also a witness is presumed void. The reasoning behind this rule is that a witness who will benefit…

Strategies For Lawsuit-Proofing Your Estate

Forbes Associate Editor, Ashlea Ebeling, wrote a great article last week about estate planning strategies that can discourage a protracted legal battle after your death.

Traditions That Keep Families Connected

My kids and I play a Volkswagen Beetle game. It’s not Punch Buggy, but rather a unique game that my family created. New Beetles (I hear…

A Durable Power of Attorney Does Not Authorize An Agent to Settle An Estate (And Other Lessons)

A man (who I’ll call “Jack”), recently called me in a bit of a panic. His fiancé (“Jill”), with whom he had lived for many years in…

Can I Transfer Property in Texas With a Foreign Will?

Occasionally, people own property in Texas but reside in another state or country at the time of their death. As a result, they make wills that comply…

Preparing for Aruba!

A few of weeks ago, my husband called with some exciting news. He earned an all-expense paid trip at work for himself and a…

What Are The Odds That You Will Die an Untimely Death?

My colleague, Candice Aiston, an Oregon estate planning attorney, included some sobering statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (pdf) in a recent…

Friday Funny: Advanced Healthcare Directives

Thanks to Michigan estate planning attorney, Mike Lichterman for sharing this very funny cartoon.