AR&H News & Blog
What Is the Primary Purpose of Asset Protection Planning and Do I Need It?
By Daniel A. Perry, Esq.When families come into my office to discuss their estate planning and legacy planning legal strategy, rarely do they consider the topic of asset protection planning. In fact, many families that I speak with do not think they are wealthy enough (whatever that term means) to consider asset protection planning. So, […]
Procrastination – The One Word that Keeps Many Families from Planning to Protect their Loved Ones
If there is one word that keeps many families from engaging in estate planning it is …procrastination. I am always amazed by the number of people who put off planning their estate. In fact, 64% of Americans do not even have a will!If you have loved ones who depend on you and you do not get […]
Joint Property May Cause More Problems Than You Realize
I was speaking with a client recently and we were discussing their jointly owned property. This client owned all of their bank accounts, investments and home jointly with their spouse.This client told me that they read something online that said that they could make the settlement of their estate very easy if they simply named […]
Who Is Your Trustee? Important Items to Consider When Naming Your Trustee
By Daniel A. Perry, Esq.This is a question that I address on numerous occasions with many of my clients. Unfortunately, many times, people pick the wrong successor trustee for their living trust.TrustsAs a brief summary, a trust has three parties. First, you have the grantor (sometimes called the trustor or trustmaker). This is the party […]
Living Probate – The Dangers of Your Failure to Plan
There are many people who have heard of the problems surrounding probate administration, mainly the costs and time involved to administer a probate estate. However, one aspect that many families fail to consider or fail to plan for is regarding what to do in the event that a person becomes incapacitated. There are many attorneys, […]
Do You Know the Difference Between Probate and Non-Probate Assets?
By: Daniel A. PerryI was working with a family earlier this year regarding the probate court process. This family lost their mother suddenly. Further, they told me that their father passed away about seven years ago. Their mother died with a will and the family had a lot of questions. Their mother owned a home, […]
What Everyone Ought to Know About Probate Case Costs and Delays
By: Daniel A. PerryI was working with a family earlier this year regarding their mother’s probate estate. When I work with a family through the probate court process, I always get asked “what is all of this going to cost?”Every time I hear that question I respond the same way, “that is almost impossible for […]
Fraud and Undue Influence: A Common Reason for Will Contests
By Daniel A. Perry, Esq.As a Trusts and Estates attorney, I have seen a lot during my career. I have represented clients during the planning stage, and I have represented families in estate settlement after the death of a loved one. However, I have also represented families when disputes arise among family members during the […]
The Biggest Dangers of Owning Real Estate Investment Property in Your Own Name
By: Daniel A. Perry Recently, I was speaking with a couple regarding their rental properties and other investment properties. This couple owned properties in the state and out of the state. In addition, they were also silent partners in a small business which was generating them a decent amount of revenue. When I asked the […]
Buy-Sell Agreement
By: Daniel A. PerryHow comfortable would you be with your spouse inheriting your small business? Or, how comfortable would you be with your children inheriting your small business? Are you confident that your business partner or partners would not fight in an attempt to buy the share from your spouse and/or children?Unfortunately, without proper small […]