Estate Planning
| Trust Modification and Termination |
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| A court will modify a trust where the trust's leading purpose is frustrated by a specific directive made by the trustor. More... |
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| Probate -- Overview |
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| In a civilized society, a legal mechanism for dealing with a deceased person's property is essential. Think of the chaos that would result if, when someone died, the law allowed anyone free access to take all or any part of the deceased person's property on a "first come" basis. Instead, we have developed a system that protects and sometimes directs the distribution of property on a persons death. Our laws recognize that some order must be maintained in the situation and so they provide, among other things, for what is called the right of "freedom of testation" and a legal process to deal with those estates that have exercised that right, as well as those that have not. More... |
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| Kinds of Powers of Attorney for Finances |
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| There are two kinds of durable powers of attorney for finances: those that take effect immediately and those that take effect only upon your incapacitation where one or two doctors declare that you can no longer manage your financial affairs. More... |
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| Co-Ownership Myths - II |
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| One of the most confusing aspects of estate planning is the numerous myths about co-ownership of property. Many people do not understand the differences between a tenancy in common and a joint tenancy with right of survivorship. Many people do not understand what a tenancy by the entirety is or was. More... |
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| Transfer on Death Registration of Securities |
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| TOD or transfer on death registration of securities allows an investor to arrange for transfer of securities upon the investor's death without the necessity of having the securities go through probate. The executor or administrator of an estate does not have to take any action regarding specific securities that have TOD registration or even entire accounts that have been set up with TOD instructions. More... |
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