What's considered proper etiquette when it comes to discussing death and inheritance?
Dividing up family heirlooms for your will? Consider these tips
How do you pick the executor of your estate?
One of the hardest things about drafting an estate plan isn't facing your own mortality -- it's picking the executor.
Telling your children about their inheritance
Knowing how to talk to your children about their inheritance is tough -- you want to address the issues you see ahead but you also don't want to create unnecessary drama.
Make it easy on your executor: Include a letter of instructions
Do you feel pretty comfortable with your end-of-life documents and plans?
Estate administration: Qualities of a good estate executor
Creating an estate plan brings peace of mind as well as a sense of accomplishment. While there are many tasks involved in estate planning, one of the most important is selecting the right estate executor. This process calls for careful consideration and an attorney with experience in estate administration can provide guidance on your choice of executor.
Preparing for your initial estate planning consultation
Many North Carolina residents assume that estate administration is automatic following their death, but we want to advise our readers that estate planning comes first. In other words, you must have certain documentation in place before your estate administration can proceed as you wish it to.
Sentimental items without cash value may still cause heir fights
Do you think high-value items are most likely to cause conflict between heirs? Maybe you assume people would fight over the family fortune, especially if life-changing money and assets are involved.
Medical records and undue influence
Do you think that undue influence caused a parent to create a will or estate plan that didn't actually go along with what he or she would have wanted? If so, one thing to carefully consider are the medical records for that parent. They can strongly support your case.
Who can be a personal representative?
A personal representative will help get a person's estate through the probate process. This can be long and complicated, and not just anyone is allowed to do it.
Estate planning with blended families and different goals
Parents are not always on the same page when it comes to estate planning. This can make things very complicated, especially when deciding what to do with blended families.
