For most people who start a family business, the dream is to have it stay in the family for generations to come. The founder may think of that as a gift to the family, giving them meaningful employment and an easy income. They may think of it as a stepping-stone, assuming that their children can build on what they started.…[...]

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It has become common knowledge that disability rates have steadily risen among children, which makes the need to understand the importance of a Special Needs Trust (SNT) even more significant. Defined, a SNT Protects the rights of the disabled individual to maintain their eligibility for public assistance benefits. If you left your disabled beneficiary money or property via your outright…[...]

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We established this blog to share stories and information about topics relevant to our practice. Our intent is to regularly provide posts highlighting legal issues of local, state and national interest that we think you will find interesting. Check back later for updates.[...]

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For a lot of people, the end goal of estate planning is relatively simple. They don’t want to do anything extravagant. They’re not looking for some out-of-the-box solutions. They just want to give their children a better life. In one study, for instance, a full 67 percent of people who were at least 51 years old said that their goal…[...]

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It is important for both men and women to do their estate planning. However, that does not mean that the process is exactly the same for both genders. Women often face some unique challenges that may not impact men — or, at least, may not impact them as often. For instance, take a look at life expectancy. It’s nearly five…[...]

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Your spouse files for divorce. As the process moves forward, you start adjusting your estate plan. You want to cut your spouse — soon to be your ex — out of it entirely. Can you do that? You can, but it is important to note that there are cases where your ex may have a legal right to some assets that are…[...]

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Does your child essentially think that your business has to go to them when you’re done running it? Are they not just waiting in line but expecting that this is part of their birthright? Now, wanting to leave your business to your children is understandable. You want to give them a source of income. You want to create a legacy.…[...]

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If you do not have children — maybe you just don’t have them yet, or maybe you don’t plan to have them at all — it is still important to write a will and do your estate planning. However, this becomes especially important if you do have kids. It raises the stakes. Prior to the birth of your children, the…[...]

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When faced with the emotional and medical challenges of a special needs child, you might not be able to spare the time to think about their future as an adult. Maybe you needed to take it one day at a time, to carefully hope for a long and happy future for them. However, when the day comes, and you realize…[...]

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People often spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to put the family home into their estate plan. Do they just leave it to the kids in equal amounts? Do they sell the house and leave the money to the children? Do they ask the children which kids want it and which ones do not? This can…[...]

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