Estate Planning

Estate planning does many things – but it’s primarily a way to make things easier for your loved ones after you’re gone and make sure that your final wishes are respected. With that in mind, many seniors are looking harder than ever into prepaid funeral plans. These...

Chances are you’ve thought about what will happen to your property and assets after you pass away. Many people in Maryland choose to create a will to have their property and assets distributed to loved ones after they die. However, a living trust is another facet of...

Estate planning is a multifaceted process involving more than deciding who will inherit your assets after you pass away. For some families, it may be beneficial to consider more complex estate planning tools like generation-skipping trusts. How do generation-skipping...

Estate disputes can certainly happen over items that don’t have sentimental value, often because they have a lot of financial value. Adult children may find themselves in a dispute over what to do with their parents’ life insurance money, for example, because the...

Have you recently been diagnosed with a serious illness or disease? An example could be a cancer diagnosis or the onset of a degenerative brain disease like Alzheimer’s. You certainly may have many excellent treatment options and your prognosis may be good. But this...

When a testator (the person who made a will) dies, the personal representative will open the estate (request the court to probate the estate). As a personal representative, doing this will allow you to start your duties. Maryland does not have a defined time limit for...

Whenever you have a child, be it your first or a subsequent one, it’s crucial you revise your estate plan. You should do this regularly anyway, but the birth of a child makes it even more imperative. The following are the principal matters that require review when...

When it comes to legal decision-making, establishing a guardianship is a crucial step that individuals or families may need to consider.  A guardianship is a legal concept where a court appoints an individual to manage the affairs of someone unable to do so...

Maryland residents can take care of their estate planning needs in many ways. While researching this subject, learning about pour-over wills and living trusts is important. When you set them up properly, these two estate planning tools can provide several amazing...

Whether assets are placed in a trust or kept in your estate, you must decide who owns them after your death. If you don't have a will or trust, Maryland law will likely determine who gets your home, art collection or other important belongings. Assuming that you do...