Change
It seems like a constant in life is that change is inevitable. This spring the weather wreaked havoc with our spring baseball and lacrosse schedules. Flexibility was key, as it is for most of life. The key to being flexible is having the best plans in place. The articles in this issue emphasize the need to have a proper plan in place that will fulfill your wishes, the ability to find that plan when necessary and the need to be flexible. Estate planning is no different than anything else in life.
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Dangers of Executing a Will Without Legal Assistance
People sometimes try to save money by not consulting with a qualified attorney when executing their will, instead using a pre-printed form or online program. A recent court case offers yet another example of the hazards of doing this. Deciding the long-running case, the Florida Supreme Court has ruled that money acquired by a woman after she used a form to execute a will should be distributed as if she had never made a will at all.
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Surprising to Most People
(How to Minimize Federal Estate Tax with Portability)
Surprising to most people, the federal estate tax is a voluntary tax. Estate planning attorneys used to say, "You only pay if you don't plan." Now, portability provides both an alternative and a back up plan to lifetime tax planning. This means you might be able to minimize or even eliminate federal estate taxes even if you didn't plan. Here's how.
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Advance Medical Directives?
Now There is an App for that
An advance directive gives instructions on the kind of medical care you would like to receive should you become unable to express your wishes yourself, and it often designates someone to make medical decisions for you. But an important document like this won't be of much use in an emergency if it's tucked away in a safe deposit box or in a file cabinet somewhere.
That's why the American Bar Association's Commission on Law and Aging has come up with the app My Health Care Wishes, which allows you to import and store your advance directive, along with other critical information, on your smartphone so that it's there for medical decision-making anytime, anywhere.
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 Is It Time to Take Action?
Contact us and find out how easy it is to set your estate plan up. You'll sleep better at night knowing things are taken care of the way you want.
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