You know that you and everyone else will use an estate plan eventually. It may be before you pass away, such as in a case where you need loved ones to make medical decisions and handle your legal affairs as you fight a disease. Or you may be in perfect health until...
Estate Planning
When your life changes, your estate plan should change
Life is nothing if not unpredictable. No matter how carefully you plan, you may not wind up working in the industry that you expect or living in the house where you first had children. That unpredictability is one of the reasons why people decide to develop an estate...
Factors to consider when selecting your child’s guardian
When you have a child, you constantly have to make a lot of tough decisions -- and that's especially true when you're thinking about important issues like what would happen to your child if you're not around to raise them. Deciding who you want as your child’s...
Can you protect your inheritance from property division?
Many North Carolina residents are fortunate enough to receive an inheritance from parents, grandparents or other loved ones. In some cases, the inherited assets or funds could be substantial or valuable, and deciding what to do with the inheritance is not always as...
Why do so many people put off long-term planning?
It's not always easy to think about the future. It can be uncomfortable to think about what could happen after your passing and your preferences regarding what will happen to your stuff. However, estate planning is an important step for every adult, regardless of age...
Gathering small details can help when creating a trust
Even if people think a certain action is a good idea, they may have a hard time doing it. For some North Carolina residents, it may be a matter of procrastination, but for others, it may be about a lack of information on how to start a certain venture. For example,...
Is a health care directive part of your estate plan?
Maybe you had a health scare this past year and spent some time in the hospital, unable to communicate your wishes. This may have been a frightening time as you wondered whether those closest to you really understood the kind of measures you expected doctors to take...
Are you worried about the inflexibility of trusts?
When thinking about the possible options you want to use to create a comprehensive estate plan, using a trust may come to mind. However, you may also have reservations about utilizing this planning tool because there seems to be little flexibility in terms of changing...
Are online estate plans worth the money?
There is no shame in wanting to save money whenever possible. Frugality may be what has allowed you to acquire the substantial assets you have in your estate. Since you have taken such care to save and manage your assets, it only makes sense that you would want to...
How much are your antiques really worth?
As half of a North Carolina high-asset married couple, you and your spouse likely own some antiques that you’ve collected over the years or inherited from your respective family members. Should you divorce, you will need to value those antiques for purposes of...