by caresslaw | Mar 22, 2023 | Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Administration, Trusts
If you have recently lost a loved one, you may be asking yourself what comes next. One of the first steps in settling an estate is going through probate—the legal process by which a deceased person’s assets are distributed to their beneficiaries. However, it is...
by caresslaw | Mar 14, 2023 | Estate Planning, Trusts
If you have a 401k or an IRA retirement plan, it can seem like the rules governing these accounts are always changing. And with the most recent piece of legislation, the SECURE (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) 2.0 Act, another set of rule...
by Caress Law, PC | Jan 11, 2023 | Estate Planning, Trusts
A trust can be a great way to ensure that a person’s assets are managed effectively after they pass—without having to go through the laborious probate process. The actual course of administering the trust, though, is not without its own complications. While many...
by Caress Law, PC | Sep 23, 2022 | Estate Planning, Trusts
You took charge of your estate. You met with your lawyer, drafted a will, filled out an advanced directive for healthcare, and maybe even set up some kind of trust. You’re all set, right? Well…if you haven’t updated your estate plan in a while, the answer is probably...
by Caress Law, PC | Sep 13, 2022 | Estate Planning, Trusts
There are some situations where DIY is okay. Making a birdhouse out of popsicle sticks after watching a few YouTube tutorials is a perfectly acceptable DIY project. On the other hand, DIY wills and trusts are rarely good ideas. Take poor Jane Doe*, as an example. Her...
by Caress Law, PC | May 16, 2022 | Estate Planning, Trusts
If the concept of a “trust protector” is new to you, you’re not alone. Up until the 1990s, the role was familiar almost exclusively in the context of offshore trusts established in tax havens, such as Panama or the Cook Islands. Individuals establishing such trusts...