Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. The coronavirus has infected over seven million people around the world, including over 1.9 million in the United States. It has killed over 110,000 people in the United States and disrupted countless lives as the unemployment rate in the United States has soared to levels not seen since the Great Depression. People can shelter-in-place to reduce their chances of … [Read more...] about Avoiding Family Chaos in the Coronavirus Age
Planning for the Unexpected
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. Often, people think they’ll have a warning before death and they’ll be able to plan once they get the warning. They think of life almost like a traffic signal. They think they are born with a green light. When they get old or get a serious illness it turns yellow. When death is imminent, the light turns red and they die. They think they’ll plan once the light turns … [Read more...] about Planning for the Unexpected
Planning for Education Expenses
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. This is the third in a series focusing on planning for children. The first article was focused on the importance of planning if you have step-children. The second article focused on the importance of planning if you have “special needs” children. This third article focuses on planning for education expenses. You want the most for your child. Above all you want to … [Read more...] about Planning for Education Expenses
Planning for Special Needs Children
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. This is the second in a series focusing on planning for children. The first article was focused on the importance of planning if you have step-children. This article focuses on the importance of planning if you have “special needs” children. The next article in the series will focus on planning for education expenses. A “special needs” child is a child who faces a … [Read more...] about Planning for Special Needs Children
Planning for Step-Children
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. This is the first in a series focusing on planning for children. This first article will focus on the importance of planning if you have step-children. The next article in the series will focus on the importance of planning if you have special needs children. If you have married someone and your spouse has children from a different relationship, those are your … [Read more...] about Planning for Step-Children
Disinheritance
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. Whether or not we plan to do so, each of us will face death eventually. However, by planning we can make our passing easier and better in many ways for those we leave behind. The first article in the series demonstrated how you could gain privacy from the public by planning and using a trust rather than going through the public probate process. The second article in … [Read more...] about Disinheritance
Your Planning Can Help Your Loved Ones
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. Whether or not we plan to do so, each of us will face death eventually. However, by planning, we can make our passing easier and better in many ways for those we leave behind. This is the third of a series on the ways we can ease the transition through planning. This article focuses on the importance of the way in which you leave assets to your loved ones. When we … [Read more...] about Your Planning Can Help Your Loved Ones
The Importance of Communicating Your Plans
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc Whether or not we plan to do so, each of us will face death eventually. However, by planning we can make our passing easier and better in many ways for those we leave behind. The first article in the series demonstrated how you could gain privacy from the public by planning and using a trust rather than going through the public probate process. The next article in the … [Read more...] about The Importance of Communicating Your Plans
Many Reasons to Plan
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. Whether or not we plan to do so, each of us will face death eventually. However, by planning, we can make our passing easier and better in many ways for those we leave behind. This is the first of a series on the ways we can ease the transition through planning. This first article focuses on privacy. The next article will focus on how you leave assets to your loved … [Read more...] about Many Reasons to Plan
Planning is Critical
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. Sometimes people seem to think that if they don’t plan for death, it just won’t happen. In fact, 58% of American adults have no will, no trust, and no estate plan at all, according to a recent study by Caring.com. Unfortunately, whether you plan for it or not, death is inevitable. If you have no plan, your state of residence has a plan for you, it’s called … [Read more...] about Planning is Critical
