P – R – I – V – A – C – Y The legal case for the Estate of Aretha Franklin ended yesterday with a finding that her hand-written 2014 Will that was found under a couch cushion is her valid Will. According to her long-time attorney, Aretha Franklin was too private to rely…
Have your made your list of New Year’s Resolutions for 2024 yet? Whether you started your list or not, let me help you with some inspiration – Estate Planning! Now hear me out… At the end of every year, we seem to think that “next year will be my year” – the year everything falls…
Clients are often unpleasantly surprised to learn that having a Last Will and Testament does not negate the need for probate. And they are sometimes annoyed when they learn that even though they are named as the Executor in a Will, that alone does not give them authority to access the decedent’s assets. Yet both of these statements are true.
Most couples have what I call “I Love You” Wills, which state that all of their assets pass to the surviving spouse. Moreover, many couples own all of their assets jointly, so the assets pass to the surviving joint owner even without a Will. This is usually the outcome that couples want, but there are…
Even though most people don’t plan on getting a divorce when they first tie the knot, it is a reality for many couples. While we do not practice family law here at Reed Wilson Case, and cannot help with a custody schedule, those crucial estate planning documents that you may or may not already have…
Whether you are putting together your own Will or standing to receive assets left to you by someone else, you may wonder what the actual difference is between a beneficiary vs an heir. Some people may use the terms interchangeably, however, heirs and beneficiaries are not the same thing. Not all heirs are beneficiaries, and…
