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New Adult Children Need Coverage Too

Do you have a child who has recently turned 18 or is single without an estate plan?  Do they have any health care or durable powers of attorney in place should they become incapacitated?  Who will keep paying any bills they may have?  Who will talk to the doctors on their behalf if they're unable to speak for themselves? Most people don't even consider having powers of attorney in place for their single, young adult children.  For parents of newly minted 18 year olds, you've just spent the last 18 years making all the financial and medical decisions and, even though your 18 year old might still be in high school, they are now legal adults who have to give permission for you to speak with the doctors and be involved in medical decisions.  The dynamics have shifted without you even realizing it. We can help your young adult get powers of attorney and HIPAA Authorizations in place so that, should some incident befall your child, medical providers will know they can...

Wills, Trusts & Dying Intestate: How They Differ

Most people understand that having some sort of an estate plan is a good thing. However, many of us do not take the first steps to get that estate plan in place because we do not understand the nuances between a will and trust – and dying without either. Here is what will generally happen if you die, intestate (without a will or trust), with a will, and with a revocable living trust (hereinafter trust). For this example, we are assuming you have two children, but no spouse: Intestate . If you die intestate, your accounts and property will go through probate and all the world will know what you owned, what you owed, and who got what. Your mortgage company, car loan company, and credit card companies will all seek payment on balances you owed at the time of your death.  Keep in mind that since your death has been published to alert valid creditors, it is not uncommon for predators (fake creditors) to come forth and make demands for payment – even if they are not owed anything.  ...