A letter of last instruction can provide clarity to loved ones. Creating an estate plan is the most important step you can take to protect your loved ones when you die. If you have done this, your estate will be settled and assets distributed through legally recognized means. Although you have your estate plan in […]
There are things you should not include in your last will and testament. You have recently inventoried your assets. Your list includes your real estate, your investments, your bank accounts, and your tangible property. With this step completed, you are ready to create an estate plan. According to a recent MSN Money article titled “Things […]
Personalize your estate plan to meet your specific needs. No one person is exactly alike. Even identical twins have distinctive features. I know, if have identical twin daughters! People have their own goals, families, jobs, and income sources. According to a recent Cleveland Jewish News article titled “Tailoring estate to specific needs leads to better […]
Estate planning mistakes are not uncommon. Last year was not what you expected it to be. <Understatement?> Although you likely hoped for a different start to 2021, you have found it to seem equally out-of-control. You are reminded how you cannot predict the future. After all, "It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." […]
Trusts can solve a number of estate planning problems. Many people think of the ultra wealthy when they envision the use of trusts in estate planning. They imagine “trust fund babies” driving foreign cars, having parties on yachts, and never working a day in their lives. According to a recent Market Watch article titled “3 […]
Joint accounts and beneficiary designations can be useful in estate planning. When you think of estate planning what comes to mind? You likely think of how it is portrayed in books or films. A character receives news of the death of a relative and how this character was named in the last will and testament […]
Probate is particularly complicated when there is no last will and testament. Settling an estate can take time. The executor who is named in the will must be approved by the probate court. When this is done, the executor can inventory and secure assets, notify creditors, pay debts and bills, distribute assets, and file the […]
Serving as a trustee or executor requires fulfillment of several duties. Perhaps family members or friends have asked you to serve as the executor, trustee, or agent in their estate plan. You are not sure what this means. They tell you the role is essentially following their instructions in their estate planning documents. Although this […]
We often hear the medical terms Alzheimer's and dementia used interchangeably. This suggests that Alzheimer's and dementia present the same, but are in really just different medical terms for the same condition. Is that really so? Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. It affects roughly 60-80% of the people with dementia. Consequently, it […]
Mistakes are part of life, but estate planning mistakes can hurt those you love unnecessarily. Especially given the heightened concerns surrounding the "pandemic," many people are seriously considering their estate planning (or lack thereof). Before you take up your own estate planning, it may be prudent to pause and consider best practices and even learn […]
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Overland Park Estate Planning Attorney Kyle Krull assists clients in Kansas and Missouri with Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Revocable Living Trusts, Charitable Planning, Asset Protection and Business Succession Planning in the greater Kansas City area including Overland Park, Leawood, Olathe, Lenexa, Johnson County Kansas and Jackson County Missouri.
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