Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. All of us face difficulties and tragedies in our lives. Some of these difficulties are expected and some are unexpected. 2020 has been a year of many unexpected difficulties. While all of us get sick from time to time, nobody anticipated the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 15 million Americans have caught the disease, resulting in the deaths of over 290,000 … [Read more...] about Preparing for the Unexpected…and the Eventual
Incapacity Planning
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. People plan to die. We know it’s going to happen. Perhaps we have life insurance to cover our financial responsibilities and care for our loved ones. We may have a Will to divvy up our assets at death. It’s usually not something we look forward to. But, we know it’s going to happen. But, we don’t expect to become incapacitated. Nobody wants to be unable to manage … [Read more...] about Incapacity Planning
You Never Know: Planning for the Unexpected
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. On a hot summer day, few things are more fun than swimming. Hannah Collins went swimming on such a day in the Edisto river near Charleston, South Carolina. She swam often and was nicknamed “river rat” by her father. But, while swimming one summer day, she became infected by an unseen danger, a rare amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, which is known as the “brain-eating … [Read more...] about You Never Know: Planning for the Unexpected
Dead Hand Control: How Much is Too Much?
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. Often, people want to continue to control their beneficiaries after death, just as they’ve done during lifetime. They want to etch in stone the exact circumstances under which distributions should be made to the beneficiaries. Sometimes they think the beneficiary will have to go to the tombstone like a confessional or ATM. The problem is the person doesn’t know … [Read more...] about Dead Hand Control: How Much is Too Much?
Planning for the Unexpected
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. Charlotte Fox was an adventurous woman. She was a serious mountain climber and reached the summit of some of the world’s tallest mountains. She became the first American woman to climb three peaks above 8,000 meters, including the world’s tallest peak. She was a member of a climbing party on Mount Everest in 1996 which encountered disaster on their descent. Several … [Read more...] about Planning for the Unexpected
