Given the complexities of most estate plans, you’ll want to work with a qualified estate planning attorney. You may also find it helpful to work with other professionals, such as a financial planner, an insurance agent, or an accountant. But your attorney should always be the one who prepares your estate planning documents.
Should you create a last will or a living trust? In determining if you should create a last will or a living trust, it is important to understand what happens after you pass away, including the legal considerations, the role of your executor, and the distribution of your specific assets.
A document that I often prepare for my clients as an essential part of their estate plan is the Advance Health Care Directive. This document is important so your wishes regarding medical decisions and end-of-life decisions will be known to your loved ones and medical providers.
A durable power of attorney allows your property and financial affairs to be managed the way you want in the event you become incapacitated.
A pourover will is a will used in connection with a trust. A pourover will is like any other will, except that the primary beneficiary is your living trust.
Proper estate planning by an attorney who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community ensures you are working with someone who understands your unique needs. Ensuring your assets will go to who you want, your estate is managed by the person of your choice, and in the event you are incapacitated, your medical decision and financial matters are handled by the person you want, is essential to protecting yourself as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Estate planning is personal. When selecting your estate planning attorney, it is important to work with someone who understands your unique needs, including where you come from, where you're going, and the people who matter most to you; all essential elements to creating an estate plan that works for you.
The best way to protect your home from probate is to transfer it into a Living Trust. Creating a Living Trust allows for the easy transfer of your home and saves thousands of dollars after you pass away.
Who will make legal, financial and medical decisions for you if you can't? Your spouse or partner? Maybe. But if you don't have one, then who? A judge? A court appointed stranger? An unwanted family member? The Law Offices of Eric A. Rudolph P.C. provides specialized knowledge and dedicated guidance for the LGBT community that simplifies creating an estate plan to protect you and your loved ones.
On June 26, 2013, the US Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision in United States v. Windsor declared unconstitutional Section III of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which defined marriage solely as a legal union between a man and a woman. This landmark decision has far-reaching implications that significantly expand estate planning and tax-planning opportunities for same-sex married couples. Under the Supreme Court’s ruling, same-sex couples who are legally married now enjoy marital recognition at both the federal and state level. This ruling [...]