Blog
Notes on planning for the people you love
Wills, trusts, guardians, long-term care, and the questions families ask most.
When Your Spouse Won't Get on Board with Estate Planning: What to Do Now
You've brought it up before. Maybe it came up after watching a friend go through something hard, a probate process that dragged on for years, or a…
What Happens to Debt When You Die: What Families Must Know
The call came four days after her husband died. A credit card company. Forty-one thousand dollars on his account. The representative told her she was…
Til Death Do Us Part? Why Unmarried Couples Must Have An Estate Plan That Works For the People They Love
Love in the 21st century takes many forms, and for a growing number of couples, "forever" doesn't always include a marriage license. While a deeply…
Digital Estate Planning: Why Passwords Aren't Enough
She found the notebook in the top drawer of her mother's desk. Six pages. Every account. Every password. Username, password, recovery question. Her…
Divorce Doesn't Update Your Estate Plan: Here's What Does
If you are a divorced father, you already know something that most married fathers don't: showing up for your kids takes more deliberate effort than…
The Father the Law Doesn't See: What Stepfathers and Father Figures Need to Know
If you are a stepfather, you know the difference between the legal definition of father and the real one. The real one shows up. He learns the…
The Question Every Father Thinks He's Answered (But Hasn't)
There are two kinds of fathers. The first kind coaches the games, makes it to the school plays, stays up late helping with the projects, and loves…
Who Would Raise Your Kids If You Couldn't? (What You Don't Know About the First 72 Hours)
I work with parents on this exact question all the time, and especially this time of year, sitting right between Mother's Day and Father's Day, the…
No One Warned Her About the Widow Penalty. Her First Tax Return Did.
She had been filing taxes the same way for thirty years. Married filing jointly. Two incomes, two Social Security checks, one tax return. When her…
The Document That Fails When You Need It Most
This happens far more than it should. You signed a Power of Attorney (POA), named someone you trust, and filed it away with your important documents.…
He Sold His Company for $1.2 Billion. He Died Without an Estate Plan.
If something happened to you tomorrow, would the people you love know what to do? Would they have the legal authority to do it? Most people think…
Her Husband Died Without a Will. Then ICE Came to the Door.
You fall in love later in life. You marry. You start over. Then your spouse dies suddenly. Before you have time to grieve, the family starts…