October is Awareness about Violence Against Women (VAW). The toll of “fight or flight” and staying in survival mode is not a lifestyle choice but one victims endure usually at the hands of a trusted Partner. It is a difficult situation and often causes permanent physical and psychological scars. Today, I want to shed light on a less obvious group of victimized women: Senior Women. One in ten seniors fall victim Read More
Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILIT)
ILIT-Advanced Estate Planning In today’s blog post, I will take a closer look at one of the more “advanced” estate planning tools: the Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT). Trusts are financial instruments which allow a person to organize his or her assets and property in a certain way to achieve personal goals. For instance, you may want a plan that provides tax benefits, asset protection, or ensure speedy and Read More
What Happens If I Have COVID-19 At College?
With the reopening of colleges and living on or off campus, any entering freshman and college young adult needs to ask, “What happens if I have COVID-19 at College?” Perhaps young adults doubt their vulnerability to the virus. Still, real-life stories exist about young people facing this deadly health crisis and not having full immunity. Youth is not a protection against catching it or dealing with hospitalization; Read More
What Happens If I Die Without a Will?
Many Americans spend a lifetime earning a retirement, paying for a home, building up a dream savings. People spend years gathering but very little on life planning. You may ask, “What happens if I die without a last Will and Testament?” In St. Louis County Missouri, more than fifty percent (50%) die without a will. Let’s take a look at what it means to your family if you die intestate. Without a Will, What Read More
How do I Give Money to Charity When I Die?
Often, I sit down with single people and older adults who want to leave money to a charity. The question asked is “How do I give money to a charity when I die? One option is to create a Charity Trust to support a non-profit cause that is close to your heart. Are you single and have no children? Maybe you have children but want to leave money to Charity. A Charity Trust allows you to give money to a recognized Read More
If I Die, What Happens to My Pet?
Are you a pet owner? I am a lifelong dog owner. For me, my dog is a member of the family. We love our dogs and cats and for some of you other types of pets. Many animal lovers truly feel that their pets are their best friends. What happens to the dog or cat if you die or become incapacitated? What happens if your pet outlives you? Pet Trust-Your Legal Solution You may recall that I published a blog discussing the Read More
Don’t Risk it: Protect Your Finances From COVID-19 Complications
Many Americans spend a lot of time and effort in managing their finances. Most people are worried about how the coronavirus (COVID-19) will impact their income—whether that’s because they are temporarily furloughed, find themselves suddenly without a job, or watching their investment and retirement accounts dwindle. There is another way COVID-19 will wreak havoc on American’s finances: lack of incapacity Read More
Estate Planning for Family Business Owners
In Estate Planning, the attorney may suggest creating a Family Limited Partnership (FLP) for a family owned business. Only family members, or their controlled entities, will be partners of the FLP. In Estate Planning, the FLP allows the business to hold and manage assets that family members individually control within the business. Nontax reasons exist for creating the FLP. In addition, the FLP design allows the Read More
Elder Law and COVID-19
As an Elder law and estate planning attorney in this time of COVID-19, I want to reach out to each of you to remind everyone to pay attention to the vulnerable seniors, elders, and people with disabilities who may feel isolated and alone. Although we have a social distancing measure in place, lawyers still provide services to you. Let’s take a moment to think about COVID 19 and how it may affect our Seniors. Elder Read More
Boutique Trusts in Estate Planning
Estate Planning encompasses more than a will and revocable living trusts. I call trusts that serve a unique and specific purpose in estate planning “boutique trusts.” Sometimes life changes after an estate plan is in place such as adopting a pet, acquiring digital assets, or buying a firearm. “Boutique Trusts,” are individualized, tailored specific trusts that may be added to take care of forgotten or new estate Read More
