Elder Law and Estate Planning Attorney
Unless you’re certain your parents have an up-to-date will, as well as a big-picture plan for what should happen in the event of their passing, you shouldn’t assume everything will be taken care of. During this season of upcoming holidays, Read More …
So, you’re officially divorced. In starting this new chapter of life, you should update your estate planning documents as soon as possible. You may no longer be legally married, but divorce does not automatically remove your prior spouse from your Read More …
Ideally, when a second marriage joins two families together, it should be a joyous occasion that creates one bigger blended family unit. Unfortunately, when the estate plan lacks clarity, it too often also creates inheritance fights between stepparents and children. Read More …
A Roth IRA does not have to be used as just a retirement plan; it can also be a way to transfer assets tax-free to the next generation. Unlike a traditional IRA, contributions to a Roth IRA are taxed, which Read More …
Most people want to pass their assets to their children or grandchildren, so should you name a minor as your beneficiary? No. Naming a minor as a beneficiary can have unintended consequences. It is important to make a plan that Read More …
There are many unknowns when planning an estate, but you can’t let the uncertainties get in the way of creating any kind of plan. Having an imperfect plan is usually better than having no plan at all. When many of Read More …
Many types of property and investments pass outside of probate and allow you to designate who will receive them after your death. It is important that these designations are kept up to date and are consistent with the rest of Read More …
The coronavirus pandemic is another reminder that life is unpredictable, and it makes sense to be prepared. It may sound self-serving, but the threats to life and finances posed by the pandemic offer ample reason to reevaluate your estate plan Read More …
People not familiar with children with special needs often find it surprising when we explain our areas of expertise are estate planning, long term care planning, elder law and special needs planning. They usually haven’t considered that children with disabilities Read More …
A stretch IRA was an estate planning strategy that applied to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) inherited by a non-spouse, such as a child beneficiary. By using the stretch strategy, IRAs could be passed on, taking advantage of tax-deferred and/or tax-free Read More …
The topic of beneficiaries and retirement accounts is one we’ve covered before in “Updating Your Beneficiaries. Estate Planning Tips from Joseph Motta”, but in this post we go into more depth of how your 401(k) and individual retirement accounts (IRAs) Read More …
You know the importance of estate planning and have taken careful consideration to have your “ducks in a row.” You drew up a will and trust with your spouse, purchased the right amount of life insurance for your family, designated Read More …
Many people periodically update their wills or other estate plans, but don’t update who will receive distributions from their retirement plans (such as IRAs and 401(k)s) upon their deaths. Every year you should review your entire estate plan, and the Read More …
