You may have first created your estate plan when you got married or started a well-paid professional job. Now that you have children or a child on the way, you will need to reconsider your estate plan and possibly make some changes to it. If you don't already have an...
When the subject of estate planning comes up, the first thing most people think about is creating a will to distribute their assets to their loved ones when they pass on. However, there is another estate planning tool that most people overlook: a trust. A trust is a...
To most people, the process of estate planning only involves decisions about what will happen to their assets when they pass on. However, you can also use an estate plan to address your needs and wishes for the remainder of your life. This can include your wishes with...
Having to go through the court process to settle a loved one’s estate can be stressful on many levels. Probate litigation can turn family members into sworn enemies and convert inheritance into legal fees. Worst of all, an estate that is caught up in probate...
Many testators assume that once they draft their will, they can put it away for safekeeping and never revisit it again. It's risky if you do, though. Your assets can change, and so can fondness for your beneficiaries. Your assets may go to an unintended someone, or...
One of the greatest things about humanity is how so many people want to help those in need. Many Wisconsin residents feel that giving to charity is personally rewarding. There are many benefits associated with giving to non-profit organizations through a charitable...
Every person has different priorities when they sit down to create an estate plan. Most focus on arranging to leave assets to particular people, but others take a completely different approach. For some people, the concern is not ensuring that a specific family member...
You may have heard of living trusts and perhaps thought they were only for very high-asset or complex estates. However, revocable living trusts are becoming an increasingly common estate planning tool for people who just want to make things easier for their families...
People often think of trusts as a way for parents to protect children born with silver spoons in their mouths. It is common to associate trusts with very wealthy families. However, a trust isn't just a tool for someone with more money than they could spend in a single...
When doing your estate planning, it’s a good idea to remove the rose-colored glasses and approach these matters realistically. Take a good, hard look at your potential heirs and assess their ability to successfully manage a large lump-sum of cash. You may realize...
