There are many complex legal requirements associated with being a trustee or administering an estate. We help our clients create an estate plan where they can handle the affairs of an estate without major challenges.

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5 Reasons to Update Your Estate Plan

Estate plans are almost magical: they allow you to maintain control of your assets, yet protect you should you become incapacitated. They take care of your family and pets. And, if carefully crafted, they reduce fees, taxes, stress, and time delays. Las Vegas estate plans can even keep your family and financial affairs private. But one thing estate plans can’t do is update themselves.

Estate plans are written to reflect your situation at a specific point in time. While they have some flexibility, the bottom line is that our lives continually change and unfold in ways we might not have ever anticipated. Your plan needs to reflect those changes. If not, it will be as stale as last week’s ham sandwich and can fail miserably.

If anything in the following 5 categories has occurred in your life since you signed your estate planning documents, call us now to schedule a meeting. We’ll get you in ASAP to make sure you and your family get protected.

  1. Marriage, Divorce, Death. Marriage, remarriage, divorce, and death all require substantial changes to an estate plan. Think of all the roles a spouse plays in our lives. We’ll need to evaluate beneficiaries, trustees, successor trustees, executors/personal representatives, and agents under powers of attorney.
  1. Change in Financial Status. A substantial change in financial status – positive or negative – generally requires an estate plan update. These changes can be the result of launching, winding down, or selling a business; business and professional success; filing bankruptcy; suffering medical crisis; retiring; receiving an inheritance; or, even winning the lottery.
  1. Birth, Adoption, or Death of a Child / Grandchild. The birth or adoption of a child or grandchild may call for the creation of gifting trusts, 529 education plans, gifting plans, and UGMA / UTMA (Uniform Gifts to Minors Act / Uniform Transfers to Minors Act) accounts. We’ll also need to reevaluate beneficiaries, trustees, successor trustees, executors/personal representatives, and agents under powers of attorney.
  1. Change in Circumstances. Circumstances change. It’s a fact of life – and when you’re the beneficiary or fiduciary of an estate plan, those changes may warrant revisions to the plan. Common examples include:
  • Children and grandchildren attain adulthood and are able to serve in trusted helper roles
  • Relationships change and different trusted helpers need to be named
  • Beneficiaries or trusted helpers develop overspending or drug / gambling habits
  • Guardians, executors, or trustees are no longer able (or no longer wish) to serve in their preassigned roles
  • Beneficiaries become disabled and need a special needs trust to receive government benefits
  • Guardians for minor children divorce, move to a new state, or are, otherwise, no longer appropriate to serve
  1. Changes in Venue. Moving from one state to another always warrants estate plan review as state’s laws differ. Changes may be needed to ensure that you’re taking full advantage of – and not being penalized by – your new state’s laws. This is also true when purchasing a second home outside of your state.

Your Estate Plan Should Help You, Not Hurt You

Old estate plans get stale just like old sandwiches do. You wouldn’t rely on last week’s ham sandwich for lunch; please don’t rely on your estate plan from yesteryear. We’ll review your estate plan and make sure you and your loved ones are good to go.

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How to Ensure my Spouse and Children Inherit Everything After I Die

Many people think that if they die while they are married, everything they own automatically goes to their spouse or children. They’re actually thinking of state rules that apply if someone dies without leaving a will. In legal jargon, this is referred to as “intestate.”

In that case, the specifics will vary depending on each state’s law, so where you live when you die can significantly change the outcome for your family. However, the general rule is that your spouse will receive a share, and the rest will be divided among your children. Exactly how much a spouse will inherit depends on the state, though.

Now, it may seem like, “So far, so good.” Your spouse is getting an inheritance, so are the kids. But here are some examples of how the laws can fail many common family situations.

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Common Family Situations

First off, if both parents of minor-aged children die intestate, then the children are left without a legal guardian. Kids don’t automatically go to a godparent, even if that’s what everyone knew the parents had intended.

Instead, a court will appoint someone to be the children’s guardian. In such situations, the judge seeks to act in the children’s best interests and gathers information on the parents, the children, and the family circumstances. But the decision is up to the court, and the judge may not make the decision that you, as a parent, would have made.

When it comes to asset division, in most cases, state intestacy law presumes that a family consists of a husband, wife, and their natural-born children. But, that’s not necessarily the way many families are structured, and things can become legally complicated quickly.

According to Wealth Management, one analysis has 50 different types of family structures in American households. Almost 18% of Americans have been remarried, and–through adoption and stepfamilies–millions of children are living in blended families. The laws just haven’t kept up, and absurd results can occur if you rely on intestacy as your estate plan. Stepchildren that you helped raise (but didn’t legally adopt) may end up with no inheritance, while a soon-to-be-ex-spouse may inherit from you.

Say, for instance, a father has a will that allocates assets to his spouse and two children, then they adopt a third child. Then, the father dies in a car accident before he’s able to revise his will. In some states, because the adopted child is not mentioned in the will, she may not be entitled to any inheritance.

If that isn’t worrisome enough, consider that, in some states, the law provides that an adopted child still has rights to the biological parents’ assets–and the biological parents are entitled to inherit a child’s wealth. (Imagine if the adopted-as-an-infant Steve Jobs had died intestate, and his biological parents demanded a share of his estate!)

Of course, with a will or trust, you can control your estate and essentially eliminate the risk of these crazy results.

 

What if You and Your Spouse Are Separated?

State law decides what happens to your estate if you are separated from your spouse when you die. Much of the time, the court ignores your separation and just considers you still legally married.

Unless you have a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, it is extremely difficult to disinherit your spouse. Again, even if a spouse is omitted from a will, state laws might choose to give a surviving husband or wife a share of the assets.

If you are separated from your spouse, and your divorce is pending, you should definitely talk with your divorce lawyer and an estate planning attorney about your options.

 

Creditors Win

Intestacy provides no asset protection or preservation benefits. Without any protections in place, an estate’s assets are still vulnerable to creditors, lawsuits, and others who may claim entitlement to the property. These claims would take precedence over the statutory requirements for inheritance. In other words, the family may not receive the lion’s share of the estate. They’d get the leftovers.

 

Talk to an Attorney Today

The best way to safeguard and pass along what you’ve worked so hard to build is to talk to a qualified estate planning attorney. Protect yourself, your family and your assets by contacting us today.

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Which Life Events Require an Immediate Estate Plan Update?

Estate planning is the process of developing a strategy for the care and management of your estate if you become incapacitated or upon your death. One commonly known purpose of estate planning in Las Vegas is to minimize taxes and costs, including taxes imposed on gifts, estates, generation-skipping transfer, and probate court costs.

However, your plan must also name someone who will make medical and financial decisions for you if you cannot make decisions for yourself. You also need to consider how to leave your property and assets while considering your family’s circumstances and needs.

Since your family’s needs and circumstances are constantly changing, so too must your estate plan. Your plan must be updated when certain life changes occur.

These include, but are not limited to: marriage, the birth or adoption of a new family member, divorce, the death of a loved one, a significant change in assets, and a move to a new state or country.

Marriage

It is not uncommon for estate planning to be the last item on the list when a couple is about to be married. Whether it’s for the first time or not. On the contrary, marriage is an essential time to update an estate plan. You probably have already thought about updating emergency contacts and adding your spouse to existing health and insurance policies.

There is another important reason to update an estate plan upon marriage. In the event of death, your money and assets may not automatically go to your spouse, especially if you have children of a prior marriage, a prenuptial agreement, or if your assets are jointly owned with someone else (like a sibling, parent, or other family members). A comprehensive estate review can ensure you and your new spouse can rest easy.

Birth or Adoption of Children or Grandchildren

When a new baby arrives, it seems like everything changes – and so should your estate plan. For example, your trust may not “automatically” include your new child, depending on how it is written. So, it is always a good idea to check and add the new child as a beneficiary.

As the children (or grandchildren) grow in age, your estate plan should adjust to ensure assets are distributed in a way that you deem proper. What seems like a good idea when your son or granddaughter is a four-year-old may no longer look like a good idea once their personality has developed and you know them as a 25-year-old college graduate, for example.

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Divorce

Some state and federal laws may remove a former spouse from an inheritance after the couple splits. However, this is not always the case, and it certainly should not be relied on as the foundation of your plan. After a divorce, you should immediately update beneficiary designations for all insurance policies and retirement accounts, any powers of attorney, and any existing health care proxy and HIPAA authorizations. It is also a good time to revamp your will and trust to make sure it does what you want (and likely leaves out your former spouse).

The Death of a Loved One

Sometimes those who are named in your estate plan pass away. If an appointed guardian of your children dies, it is imperative to designate a new person. Likewise, if your chosen executor, health care proxy, or designated power of attorney dies, new ones should be named right away.

Significant Change in Assets

Whether it is a sudden salary increase, inheritance, or the purchase of a large asset these scenarios should prompt an adjustment in an existing estate plan. The bigger the estate, the more likely there will be issues over the disposition of the assets after you are gone. For this reason, it is best to see what changes, if any, are needed after a significant increase (or decrease) in your assets.

A Move to a New State or Country

For most individuals, it is a good idea to obtain a new set of estate planning documents that clearly meet the new state’s legal requirements. Estate planning for Americans living abroad or those who have assets located in numerous countries is even more complicated and requires professional assistance.

It is always a good idea to learn what you need to do to completely protect yourself and your family when you move to a new state or country.

Get Protected Today

We are here to help you get fully settled in and build a plan to protect you and your family. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

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Call an Estate Planning Attorney After Buying a House

During the home-buying process, you worked with a lot of individuals. Some are your realtor, the seller’s realtor, the title company, the loan officer, and the home inspector. Now that you have finalized the purchase of your house, there is one more expert you need to call – your estate planning attorney. It’s very important to not forget this step and reach out to an estate planning attorney after buying a house.

See below to learn a few ways an estate planning attorney can help get everything in order after purchasing your home.

Aligning Your Ownership with Existing Estate Planning

First, your attorney can help you review the new documents associated with your home purchase in conjunction with your existing estate plan. This is to ensure that everything aligns and works towards your overall estate planning objectives. If your existing estate plans include a trust that owns all of your assets, it is crucial that your new home is titled in the name of the trust and not in your name individually (or jointly if married).

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Regularly Check and Update Your Estate Plan

Since you have engaged in a new life-changing event, now is the perfect time to review your existing plan. This is a great opportunity to make sure that the individuals you have appointed in the crucial roles of guardian, executor, agent, or trustee are still able to carry out those duties when the need arises.

With the passage of time, these individuals may have moved away, died, or otherwise undergone a life change themselves that makes them less than the desirable candidate to act on your behalf.

While you are reviewing your estate plans, it is also important that you review the dispositive language.  Do you still want to have your assets divided the same way? Have the needs of your beneficiaries changed over the years?

To ensure that you are protecting and providing for your beneficiaries, you need to make sure that the provisions are set up for the best-individualized protection.

Different State Factors

Lastly, if the purchase of your new home is in a different state, you will definitely want to visit an estate planning attorney.  By changing states, the documents you previously prepared may not adequately protect you and your family.  Each state has unique laws regarding trusts and estates, you will need to make sure that any documents you are currently relying on are enforceable in your new state. Unenforceable or not-optimized documents can be just as bad as having no estate planning documents at all.

Give Us a Call

Buying a new home is a great new adventure. We are here to help in your next step of contacting an estate planning attorney after buying a house. Contact us or give us a call so we can make sure that you are embarking on this new chapter in your life fully protected.

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Passing Along a Benefit, Not a Burden

Why Incapacity Planning for Business Owners is an Indispensable Component of Your Plan

Most business owners have their estate planning prepared because they are worried about what will happen to their business after they are dead.  However, proper estate planning has the added benefit of allowing you to make plans for what will happen if you are incapacitated or needing to be away from your business for an extended period of time.

As the owner, you are responsible for the day-to-day operations of your business. This is a full-time responsibility. But what will happen if you can’t be there all the time? You don’t necessarily have to be in a coma to be unable to participate in your business. You could be on an extended vacation or have a medical diagnosis that requires you to take several months away for treatment or recovery. During this time, your business needs to continue on so that you and your employees can continue to take home money.

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You Want To Leave Your Business As A Benefit Not A Burden

It is important to think ahead about who will be in charge of the day-to-day operations because a ship without a captain can be dangerous. Not only does this individual need to understand the business, but he or she also needs to have the respect of your employees, and be confident in making tough decisions in your absence. Without this planning, everyone could jump to the conclusion that he or she is in charge, or alternatively, no one will step up, resulting in chaos either way.

If you have family members working in your business it is also important to explain to them what will happen in your absence and who will be in charge so that someone does not assume they are in charge just because they are family. Importantly, remember that just because your family is involved with your business does not mean that he or she is the best choice to succeed you.

We can help you develop a plan to keep your business running while you are away. From choosing the right individual to putting processes in place for your incapacity, we are here to help.  Call us at 1-720-660-9847 to schedule a free consultation.

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Revocable Trust vs. Irrevocable Trust in Estate Planning

When it comes to Estate Planning, Trusts allow you to avoid probate, minimize taxes, provide organization, maintain control, and provide for yourself and your heirs. In its most simple terms, a trust is a book of instructions wherein you tell your people what to do, and when.

While there are many types of trusts, the major distinction between trusts is whether they are revocable or irrevocable. Let’s take a look at both so you’ll have the information you need:

Revocable Trusts 

Revocable trusts are also known as “living trusts” because they benefit you during your lifetime and you can alter, change, modify, or revoke them if your circumstances or goals change.

  • Able to stay in control of your revocable trust. You can transfer property into a trust and take it out, serve as the trustee, and be the beneficiary. You have full control. Most of our clients like that.
  • Can select successor trustees to manage the trust if you become incapacitated and when you die. Most of our clients like that they, not the courts, select who’s in charge when they need help.
  • Your trust assets avoid probate. This makes it difficult for creditors to access assets since they must petition a court for an order to enable the creditor to get to the assets held in the trust. Most of our clients want to protect their beneficiaries’ inheritances.

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Irrevocable Trusts 

When irrevocable trusts are used, assets are transferred out of the trustmaker’s estate into the name of the trust.  You, as the trustmaker, cannot alter, change, modify, or revoke this trust after execution. It’s irrevocable and you usually can’t be in control.

  • Irrevocable trust assets have increased asset protection and are kept out of the reach of creditors.
  • Taxes are often reduced because, in most cases, irrevocable trust assets are no longer part of your estate.
  • Trust protectors can modify your trust if your goals become frustrated.

As experienced estate planning attorneys, we can help you figure out whether a revocable or irrevocable trust is a good fit for you and your loved ones.  Call us at 1-720-660-9847 to make an appointment today!

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Should your child’s guardian and trustee be the same person?

If you have overheard any discussion about estate planning, you have likely heard the words “guardian” or “trustee” tossed around in the conversation. When it comes to estate planning, who will be ultimately in charge of your minor child is an important decision that requires consideration of many factors. Although there is no substitute for you as a parent, a guardian is essentially someone who steps in as a parent, assuming the parental role and raising the child through adulthood. A trustee, on the other hand, is in charge of managing the financial legacy that has been left behind for the minor.  As a parent, you need to consider the characteristics needed for each role.

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Who Makes a Good Guardian?

When choosing a guardian, the top factor to consider is who is the best person that will love and raise your child in a manner that you would. This would include religious beliefs, parenting style, interest in extracurricular activities, energy level, and whether or not he or she has children already. Keep in mind that a guardian will provide day-to-day love, care, and support for your child. While the guardian you choose may be great with your children, he or she may not be great with money. For this reason, it may make sense to place the financial management of your minor child’s funds in the hands of someone else.

Who Makes a Good Trustee? 

Not surprisingly, when choosing a trustee, the most important characteristic is that he or she is great with finances. Specifically, the trustee must be able to manage the funds in accordance with your intent and instructions that are left in your trust. Consider whether he or she will honor your wishes. Likewise, should you choose to grant your successor trustee discretion in making financial decisions regarding the management of funds left behind you should ensure the individual’s decisions will be aligned with your intent? In short, you want to choose a successor trustee who will act in your minor child’s best interest within the limits you have set forth in your estate plan documents. If you choose two different people for the role of guardian and trustee, make sure to consider how the two get along as they will likely have to work together throughout your minor’s childhood and possibly into adulthood.

Seek Help to Make Your Decision

While estate planning can be daunting, it does not have to be. Contact a knowledgeable estate planning attorney to help guide you through this process. We can explain your options and advise you on the best plan that will follow your wishes while at the same time meeting your family’s needs.

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The Pros and Cons of Probate in Las Vegas

In estate planning circles, the word “probate” often comes with a starkly negative connotation. Indeed, for many people — especially those with larger estates — financial planners recommend trying to keep property out of probate whenever possible.

That being said, the probate system was ultimately established to protect the property of the deceased and his/her heirs, and in a few cases it may even work to an advantage.

Let’s look briefly at the pros and cons of going through probate.

The Pros of Probate

For some estates, especially those in which no will was left, the system works to make sure all assets are distributed according to state law.

Here are some potential advantages of probating an estate:

  • Provides a trustworthy procedure for redistributing the property of the deceased if no will was left.
  • Validates and enforces the intentions of the deceased if a will exists.
  • Ensures taxes and claimed debts are paid on the estate, so there’s a finality to the deceased person’s affairs, rather than an uncertain, lingering feeling for the beneficiaries.
  • If the deceased was in debt, probate gives only a brief window for creditors to file a claim, which can result in more debt forgiveness.
  • Probate can be advantageous for distributing smaller estates in which estate planning was unaffordable.

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The Cons of Probate

While probate is intended to work fairly to facilitate the transfer of property after someone dies, consider bypassing the process for these reasons:

  • Probate is a matter of public record, which means personal family and financial information become public knowledge.
  • There may be considerable costs, including court, attorney, and executor fees, all of which get deducted from the value of the estate.
  • Can be time-consuming, holding up distribution of the assets for months, and sometimes, years.
  • Probate can be complicated and stressful for your executor and your beneficiaries.

The Bottom line

While probate is a default mechanism that ultimately works to enforce the fair distribution of even small estates, it can create undue costs and delays. For that reason, many people prefer to use strategies to keep their property out of probate when they die.

A skilled estate planning attorney can develop a strategy to help you avoid probate and make life easier for the next generation. For more information about your options,  call us at 1-720-660-9847 to schedule a free consultation.

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The Top 2 Ways the Court Gets Involved in Your Estate

No one wants unnecessary court involvement in their life. But without careful and proactive estate planning, chances are that some aspect of your estate will end up being decided there.

Here are two of the most common ways court proceedings can make their way into the management and distribution of your assets, along with the estate planning measures you can take to avoid them.

Guardianship and Conservatorship

If you experience an inability to make decisions on your own behalf, also known as legal incapacity, and you don’t have provisions for what to do in this situation clearly outlined in your estate plan, it falls upon the guardianship or conservatorship court to decide who will become responsible for handling your finances, lifestyle, and medical care. You can become legally incapacitated because of an accident, injury, or degenerative illness. In the case of guardianship and conservatorship (sometimes called “living probate”), your estate’s details, as well as discussion about your medical conditions, may be made public and be the topic of court proceedings.

How to avoid it: To make sure the government doesn’t get involved in your wealth management and health care during your lifetime, you need to determine who will be your power of attorney. You can appoint durable and medical powers of attorney for various categories of management in your life and estate. A solid long-term care plan, living will, and fully-funded revocable trust are also crucial components in avoiding living probate proceedings.

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The Probate Process

Probate is the name for the court proceeding that takes place after your death to prove that your will is valid and that its terms are carried out accurately and legally. Probate brings your financial and personal affairs out into the open via public forum, and your estate can dwindle due to legal fees incurred during this time. It can also take an excessive amount of time due to the slow nature of court proceedings, dragging out a potentially stressful episode for your family.           

How to avoid it: Having a will does not avoid probate, since all wills must go through probate to be validated. Although you’ll often hear about joint tenancy, beneficiary designations, and other probate avoidance options as alternatives to wills, only a fully funded revocable trust can consolidate the management and preservation of all types of assets. So, the best way to avoid probate is to work with your estate planning attorney to establish and fully fund a revocable living trust and name your beneficiaries and trustees ahead of time.

We’re here to help

Estate planning can be a daunting thing to consider when you’re busy. And we know you are. That’s why we work diligently to present you with the best estate planning tools and strategies in a straightforward manner, letting you get back to focusing on what’s most important to you. Call us at 1-720-660-9847 today to schedule an appointment.

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Get Your Affairs in Order With Estate Planning

The idea of getting your financial and legal house in order is likely the last thing on your mind during the busy holiday season. But, getting started with estate planning is much easier than you think. In fact, the end of the year is a good time to reflect upon the year that has passed and focus on your aspirations for the future. Don’t hold this task off for later. Some careful thought and a little bit of work now can go a long way to help you feel 100% confident about moving forward in the new year.

In preparation for the upcoming tax season, you may have already begun gathering some paperwork, like your property tax bill, year-end mortgage statement, or final pay stubs. Although filing your income taxes is different than putting your affairs in order, you’re already in paperwork “mode”, so now is the perfect time to reassess your legal and financial situation to create a new plan or update an existing one that no longer suits your circumstances.

Basic Estate Planning

All you need to do is start with a general list of everything that you own. You don’t have to complete a comprehensive inventory. Think instead about categories of assets, like bank accounts, life insurance, real estate, vehicles, etc.

Then, draw out your family tree and think about who you would like to receive what you’ve spent your lifetime building. If you don’t put your wishes in writing, your estate – everything you’ve worked so hard to build – may be liquidated and will be distributed according to the government’s plan, known as intestacy.

The foundation of all estate plans are wills and trusts. Which one is the best for you depends on your individual circumstances.

A will is a written legal declaration of your intentions on how you want your property disposed of upon death. This document is not legally enforceable until after your passing and, therefore, it can be changed at any time before you die or have diminished mental incapacity. A will allows you to control what happens after you are gone.

A trust is a legal arrangement where a trustee manages property for the benefit of the beneficiaries. There are many kinds of trusts, ranging from living trusts to complex dynasty trusts. Each type of trust has its own benefits and drawbacks, so talk with us about which one is the best fit for your circumstances.

Although there are many types of trusts, the one most people need is a living trust. It’s a great alternative to a will, because it can be changed during your life, can provide financial protection should you become incapacitated, and yet often is easier and less expensive for your family to handle upon your death.  Another common type of trust is a testamentary trust, which is one that is contained within the provisions of the will. Just like a will, a testamentary trust is not operative until your death, making them a little less flexible and more limited in function.

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Benefits of Estate Planning

Estate planning can help provide financial stability for loved ones, designate a guardian for minor children or disabled family members, distribute property to chosen charitable organizations, reduce tax liabilities, and achieve other personal and family goals. Organizing your financial and legal affairs is your opportunity to make impactful decisions on your assets, money, and healthcare and leave a legacy after you are gone.

Planning your estate may feel like a daunting task. We’re here to help. You don’t have to do this alone. Call us at 1-720-660-9847 to discuss your options and organize your future.