by Randy Coleman | Jan 2, 2015 | Advance Directives in Florida, Annuities, Asset Protection, Beneficiary Designations, Designation of Health Care Surrogate, Durable Power of Attorney, Estate Planning, Individual Retirement Accounts, IRAs, Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship, Life Insurance Protection, Living Will, Personal Representative, Probate, Retirement Accounts, Revocable Living Trusts, Tenancy by the Entireties, Tenancy in Common, Titling of Assets, Trustee, Wills and Probate |
It’s the New Year and everyone has their list of resolutions that probably won’t be followed for more than a month or two. From the estate planning perspective, that is enough time to review and ensure that your estate planning house is in order, if you...
by Randy Coleman | Dec 18, 2014 | Discretionary Trusts, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Probate, Probate Litigation, Will Contests, Wills and Probate |
A will or trust contest can derail your final wishes, rapidly deplete your estate, and tear your loved ones apart. Unfortunately, we have the opportunity to observe such contests on a regular basis, and even among families where no one expected there would be any...
by Randy Coleman | Dec 3, 2014 | Disability Planning, Elder Care, Estate Planning, Estate Taxes, Financial Abuse of the Elderly, Guardianship, Long Term Care, Personal Representative, Probate, Revocable Living Trusts, Trust Administration, Will Contests, Wills and Probate |
With the end of the year fast approaching, now is the time to fine tune your estate plan before you get caught up in the chaos of the holiday season. One area of planning that many people overlook is ensuring that their final wishes remain private. Will Your Final...
by Randy Coleman | Nov 14, 2014 | Estate Planning, Life Insurance Protection, Retirement Planning |
We use a variety of insurance products to manage risk in different areas of our lives in order to protect our wealth from losses that can come from property damage, businesses we own, disability, retirement and death. Instead of considering these products as separate...
by Randy Coleman | Nov 6, 2014 | Asset Protection, Crazy Lawsuits, Domestic Asset Protection Trusts, Exemption Planning, Family Limited Partnership, Limited Liability Companies, Off Shore Trusts and Financial Accounts, Titling of Assets |
Understanding Losses: Liability Exposure We live in a litigious society. Lawsuits abound, whether deserved or not. If you own property or stock that was purchased at a low price and has had high appreciation, it is at risk to litigation and creditors—even if you are...
by Randy Coleman | Oct 27, 2014 | Disability Planning, Elder Abuse, Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Financial Abuse of the Elderly, Guardianship, Health Care Power of Attorney, Long Term Care, Medicaid Planning, Nursing Homes, Personal Care Contracts, Retirement Planning, Special Needs Trusts, VA Aid and Attendance, Veterans Pension Benefits |
This post will discuss a debilitating condition that many Americans eventually face as they age: dementia. First, we will describe what dementia is and what it isn’t. Then we will turn our focus to its costs to the individual, the family and our nation. As Elder...
by Randy Coleman | Oct 21, 2014 | Estate Planning |
A common misconception is that only wealthy families and people in high risk professions need to put together an asset protection plan. But in reality, anyone can be sued. A car accident, foreclosure, unpaid medical bills, or an injured tenant can result in a...
by Randy Coleman | Jul 30, 2014 | Estate Planning, estate tax, Estate Taxes, Revocable Living Trusts |
Are you married and is the last time you and your spouse updated your estate plan more than a few years ago? Then chances are your estate plan contains good old “AB Trust” planning (also called “Marital and Family Trusts” or “QTIP” and “Bypass Trusts”) which, up...
by Randy Coleman | Jul 28, 2014 | Estate Planning, Life Estates, Probate, Titling of Assets |
Many individuals use life estate deeds in an effort to avoid probate and eliminate the need to hire an attorney to prepare a last will and testament, or a trust. Unfortunately, when someone uses a life estate deed, they lose control over the distribution of their...
by Randy Coleman | Jul 2, 2014 | Asset Protection, Beneficiary Designations, Estate Planning, Exemption Planning, Individual Retirement Accounts, IRAs, Irrevocable Trusts, Retirement Accounts, Retirement Planning, ROTH IRAs |
A couple of weeks ago, we talked about the landmark, unanimous 9-0 decision handed down on June 12, 2014, in which the United States Supreme Court held that inherited IRAs are not “retirement funds” within the meaning of federal bankruptcy law. This means they are...
