The following ill-advised estate planning strategies can cause confusion, or even cost your children some or all of their inheritance.

No one likes to think about it, but when we pass away it will be someone else's responsibility to wrap up our affairs. This can be a difficult task for your executor if he or she does not know where your important documents are kept, information on your financial accounts like what types, where...

It can be hard to get motivated about your estate planning; it sounds about as fun as getting a root canal. However, you also probably want to make sure that your loved ones are protected and receive your hard-earned money and property – regardless of whether you have $10 million or $10,000. ...

It's graduation time! Even though the ceremony may look a little different this year because of COVID-19, it still means your “baby” is all grown up and preparing to head out into the real world. But, before your child (or grandchild!) plans to head off for college or pursues other endeavors, it'...

In Georgia, probate is the legal process of transferring assets from a deceased person to their heirs. It can be stressful, costly, and can take months or even years to complete. Probate is also used to ensure a decedent's outstanding debt is paid to creditors and that assets are distributed ac...

Conversations about death and dying are rarely fun. Most people avoid them because they invoke feelings about our inevitable demise. Broaching this subject can be particularly difficult for parents and their adult children. Adult children may avoid bringing up the topic because they do not want...

Creating an estate plan can be overwhelming. One of the most significant decisions you will have to make is choosing who will serve as your successor Trustee. This needs to be a person you explicitly trust with your financial and personal information in life and death. Marietta estate lawyers...

If you have already done your estate planning, you have taken a significant step toward ensuring that your loved ones will know how to manage your affairs if you become incapacitated or die. However, simply having a will or a trust and related estate planning documents is often not enough. A ...

National Healthcare Decisions Day is on April 16th, and it's an important reminder for every adult to begin having difficult conversations with loved ones about their most private wishes for medical and end-of-life care. These critical conversations include letting someone know your thoughts and...

You may be afraid of losing your home if you have to enter a nursing home and apply for Medicaid. While this fear is well-founded, transferring the home to your children is usually not the best way to protect it. Although you generally do not have to sell your home in order to qualify for Medi...

While watching a movie or reading a book about wealthy individuals and their families, you may have come across terms such as “heir,” “descendant,” and “next of kin.” Though made-for-Hollywood storylines use these terms interchangeably, words describing familial relationships have distinct de...

A trust, in general terms, is nothing but a set of instructions that a Trustmaker gives to a Trustee who agrees to carry out those instructions. A trust may be revocable or irrevocable. A Medicaid Asset Protection Trust is irrevocable but irrevocability does not mean inflexible. After you creat...

A serious health diagnosis can force some tasks – especially ones you've been putting off – to the top of the priority list. Marietta will lawyers know that estate planning is one of these tasks that's often left for another day, as people don't like to think about sickness or death when they a...

Almost all adult children will need to decide what to do with their parents' home, either after their parents have moved into a nursing home or have passed away. Usually, the children will sell the home and use the assets from the sale to pay for the nursing home or distribute the assets to t...

One of the most frequently asked questions  Marietta elder lawyers receive is, “When should we start planning for long-term care?” The short answer is, “Long before you need it!” When it comes to your home, your health, and your finances, you want to be in the driver's seat. That is why it is ...

Asset protection strategies help keep your money out of the hands of nursing homes, litigators, and other financial predators. Keep reading to learn about five of the best asset protection strategies to help you keep your money right where it is. Create an Irrevocable Trust Experienced Mariett...

Larry King passed away in January due to complications with COVID-19. At the time, he was in the middle of a divorce from his seventh wife, Shawn. His net worth is estimated to be some $144 million. Shawn has been adamant that the pair have had an estate plan in place for many years. However, l...

Unfortunately, people don't stay young and healthy forever. While no one likes to think about growing old, getting sick, becoming disabled, or even incapacitated, it's incredibly important to plan ahead for the possibility. Ask yourself: If you become incapacitated, who will have the legal a...

Baby boomers - the first generation tasked with the responsibility of planning for and funding their golden years. This generation, which includes those born between 1946 and 1964, has entered and continues to enter into retirement. As they make this financial transition into retirement, many...

The benefits of a highly detailed, comprehensive power of attorney are numerous. Unfortunately, many powers of attorney are more general in nature and can actually cause more problems than they solve, especially for our senior population. This blog post highlights the benefits of a comprehensiv...

The advent of the coronavirus pandemic forces each individual to assess their values and priorities, and overall health. The little COVID-19 clinical information relating to treatment options and likely outcomes based on personal health history should lead all of us to the same conclusion; hope...

As we close out 2020 in hopes of a better 2021, Marietta estate planning lawyers are encouraging their clients to reflect on legal changes that may have gone overlooked in the past year. Last January, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act was rolling out. The...

Nothing lasts forever. Your smiling baby becomes a child who becomes an adult. You change too. You won't always be there for your child with special needs. You may already have a Special Needs Trust in Cobb County, but it's important to continue to review your trust to ensure that it still ...

If a loved one has recently died or become mentally incapacitated, finding the person's estate planning documents is essential. The estate planning process and associated documents are critical to making decisions on the loved one's behalf, gaining access to accounts, and discovering your dec...

On February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) gave name to the disease-causing the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak. The coronavirus disease 2019 shortly after became known by its abbreviation, CO for corona, VI for virus, D for disease, and 19 for the year of the outbreak; COVID-1...