Estate Planning

Running a small business can keep you busy, but it should not keep you from creating an estate plan. Not having a plan in place can cause problems for your business and your family after you are gone.  

A Roth IRA does not have to be used as just a retirement plan; it can also be a way to transfer assets tax-free to the next generation.

As a trust beneficiary, you may feel that you are at the mercy of the trustee, but depending on the type of trust, beneficiaries may have rights to ensure the trust is properly managed.

Being the executor of an estate can be a time-consuming job, depending on the size and complexity of the estate. While a simple estate can take a few months and not require a huge time commitment, if there are problems, the job can drag on for years. 

Not everyone needs their required minimum distributions from their retirement accounts to make ends meet. If you don’t need your distribution, one option is to donate it to charity and not pay taxes on it. 

Naming a trust as a beneficiary of your retirement plan can be a good idea in some circumstances, but it can be dangerous if you are worried about creditors coming after your estate. 

Saying that there has been "undue influence" is often used as a reason to contest a will or estate plan, but what does it mean?

If you are single, you may not think you need to plan your estate, but single people are in as much need of a plan as anyone else.

While everyone should have a durable power of attorney that appoints someone to act for them if they become incapacitated, in some circumstances it is not enough. In these cases, a revocable trust can help. 

Elder law and estate planning serve two different -- but equally vital -- functions.