Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Don’t Forget Lawsuit Proceeds In Your Estate Plan
When you are creating your estate documents, you may give a lot of thought about the things you own, and your assets, when you are thinking about who to leave them to or how to leave them to the people you love. But one asset that gets overlooked are things you may not think… Read More »
Trusts: What Kinds Are There?
We’ve often discussed the benefits of trusts, and how a trust can help you administer an estate. But what kinds of trusts are there? There are actually a large number of trusts, and the trust that’s right for you is an individual choice based on your specific situation. Still, it may be helpful for… Read More »
Can A No-Contest Clause Avoid A Will Contest?
None of us want to imagine family members fighting over what they are left in our estate, when we are gone. There are a number of ways to avoid this kind of fighting, some which are legal, and some of which are just plain common sense, but regardless of any of these methods, there… Read More »
Things To Do Now To Avoid Disputed Estates Later On
When thinking about what will happen when we are gone, the last thing we can imagine is our loved ones, friends or family, fighting with each other over who will get what. The idea of one family member getting a lawyer, and all of them spending thousands of dollars to fight over what you… Read More »
Should You Use A Pour Over Will?
Let’s say that you were smart, and you made sure that you transferred pretty much everything that you own into trusts. By doing that, you ensure that there will be no probate, and thus, no court action, and thus, hopefully, no infighting between your family over who gets what when you are gone. But… Read More »
Some Basic Questions And Answers About Estate Planning
Although many people have a general knowledge about wills and trusts, many may also have a lot of questions. Wills and trusts can be complex, but the basics of estate planning are not complex. Here are some commonly asked questions, to give you some basic knowledge about wills, trusts, and how they work. Q:… Read More »
Don’t Forget About Medicaid Estate Planning Strategies
For many people who are in need of long term care in the later stages of their lives, Medicaid is a lifesaver. Medicaid often provides the care needed for people to get necessary medical care, or for people to get care at a medical or nursing home facility. Medicaid and Need But Medicaid is… Read More »
Can Your Estate Pay For A Beneficiary’s College Tuition?
With all the talk in the news about student loans, and the burdens that they put on people, most of us are aware of one thing: A college education is very expensive. You may have people in your family that see college in their future–or, if they’re too young to worry about that yet,… Read More »
What Are The Chances Of Success In A Will Contest?
Most wills are probated and distributed without legal issues or problems. But will contests do happen. What are the chances of a will contest being successful and what can you do to make sure that your will is not contested after you pass? Who Can Contest a Will? Anybody with a stake in the… Read More »
What Is A Letter Of Last Instruction?
Among all the documents that we routinely talk about when it comes to estate planning, something called a Letter of Last Instruction doesn’t get a lot of attention. But this letter (which isn’t actually sent to anyone, but should instead be kept with a single family member and your estate attorney) can help “fill… Read More »