A few months ago, the Florida Supreme Court was asked to rule on the interpretation of a will created using an “E-Z Legal Form,” something anyone can buy on-line for a grand total of $2.95.
The will in question was missing a key provision: a “residuary clause.” This type of clause addresses the disposition of any property that might be acquired after the date the will is …
A few months ago, the Florida Supreme Court was asked to rule on the interpretation of a will created using an “E-Z Legal Form,” something anyone can buy on-line for a grand total of $2.95.
The will in question was missing a key provision: a “residuary clause.” This type of clause addresses the disposition of any property that might be acquired after the date the will is …
“I want to tell you about something I’m going through that I hope will lead you to take action — today.” This quote is from Washington Post finance columnist Michelle Singletary, whose mother was recently critically injured in a house fire. Her mother valued her privacy to such an extreme that she never wanted to create any sort of estate plan…
One of my favorite aspects to my job comes after the estate plan has been designed, drafted, and executed. That’s when I get together with my clients to have what I call our “Legacy Interview.” During this meeting we sit and chat for about an hour about everything from how my clients met to their hopes and dreams for their children…
As a parent, it is our job to model for our kids how to be caring, self-sufficient and contributing members of society. We work hard. We volunteer our time. We donate to causes. We bake for the school fundraisers. We are polite to the people who wait on us in stores and restaurants. All of these little details of our everyday lives add up to a strong lesson for our children in how to become a moral adult…
As with many people of their generation, my Great-Uncle Marcus managed the family finances, thinking he was doing my Aunt Bobbie a favor by leaving her out of this chore entirely. When he died last year, she was left with the problem of having to reconstruct their financial lives based on random pieces of paper stuffed in drawers, buried beneath 40 years’ worth of miscellany…
James Gandolfini, best known for his role as Tony Soprano on the hit HBO series, died of a heart attack at the age of 51 last month. His death and the plans he put into place just months before should both serve as a wakeup call for anyone still sitting on the fence about doing their own estate plan…
We go about our daily lives rushing from project to project, checking things off our to-do lists and assuming that what we didn’t get to today we will be able to tackle tomorrow. But every now and then something happens to remind me how fleeting life really is. It is these events that help me remember to slow down and focus on the things I care most about…
My Uncle Bud was one of the sweetest men you could ever hope to meet. He had a huge heart and a generous spirit. He died of a stroke at the much too young age of 71.
In keeping with Jewish tradition, my family gathered for the unveiling of his headstone a year after he died. I learned many wonderful new things about my uncle at this event…