Posted by Jason Johnson | Aug 04, 2022 |
You might think that only the super wealthy need to worry about asset protection planning. But the truth is that if you don’t have millions, you may be at even greater risk. Here are four essential strategies to consider for safeguarding your family’s most valuable assets.
Posted by Jason Johnson | Jul 27, 2022 |
Family dynamics are extremely complicated and prone to conflict even during the best of times. But when tragedy strikes a member of the household, even minor tensions and disagreements can explode into bitter conflict. And when access to money (or even quite often, sentimental items of furniture or jewelry) is on the line, the potential for discord is exponentially increased. Ultimately, there is no greater cost to families than the cost of lost relationships after the death or incapacity of a loved one.
Posted by Jason Johnson | Jul 20, 2022 |
This blog outlines the typical procedure for claiming and collecting life insurance proceeds, along with discussing how beneficiaries can deal with common hiccups in the process. However, because all life insurance policies are different and some involve more complexities than others, contact our office if you need any support or guidance.
Posted by Jason Johnson | Jul 20, 2022 |
As anyone who has personally dealt with loss knows, when a loved one dies, those left behind face major challenges, not only emotional and logistical but financial as well. Empathy, a website dedicated to providing support for navigating grief and settling an estate, Empathy is designed to help bereaved families find balance during one of life's most challenging moments.
Posted by Jason Johnson | Jul 12, 2022 |
Whenever you merge two families into one, you are naturally going to encounter some challenges and conflict. To this end, blended families present a number of particularly challenging legal and financial issues from an estate planning perspective. Indeed, though all families should have an estate plan, planning is absolutely essential for those with blended families.
Posted by Jason Johnson | Jul 05, 2022 |
If you are like many homeowners, your home is likely your family’s most valuable and treasured asset. In light of this, you want to plan wisely to ensure your home will pass to your heirs in the most efficient and safe manner possible when you die or in the event you become incapacitated by illness or injury. Here in part two, we will outline the key advantages of using a trust to pass your home to your loved ones compared to other estate planning strategies.
Posted by Jason Johnson | Jun 29, 2022 |
If you are like many homeowners, your home is likely your family’s most valuable and treasured asset. In light of this, you want to plan wisely to ensure your home will pass to your heirs in the most efficient and safe manner possible when you die or in the event you become incapacitated by illness or injury.
Posted by Jason Johnson | Jun 22, 2022 |
These days, more and more young people are delaying—if not totally foregoing—a life that involves marriage and parenting. The lack of jobs, crushing student debt, multiple recessions, and the pandemic have pushed many young people into a life path that leaves little room for settling down with a ...
Posted by Jason Johnson | Jun 15, 2022 |
If you've been chosen as a trustee and aren't sure what that entails, this is for you. Learn about the duties and responsibilities of a trustee here.
Posted by Jason Johnson | Jun 08, 2022 |
When creating an estate plan, people are often most concerned with passing on the “big things” like real estate, bank accounts, and vehicles. Yet these possessions very often aren’t the items that have the most meaning for the loved ones we leave behind.
Smaller items, like family heirlooms and keepsakes, which may not have a high dollar value, frequently have the most sentimental value for our family members. But for a number of reasons, these personal possessions are often not specifically accounted for in wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents.
To ensure your heirlooms and keepsakes don’t create any unnecessary conflicts among your heirs, make sure that your estate plan includes all of your assets, especially your family heirlooms and keepsakes
Posted by Jason Johnson | May 31, 2022 |
The three documents you need in place and signed before your kids leave home.
Posted by Jason Johnson | May 25, 2022 |
Because estate planning involves actively thinking about and planning for frightening topics like death, old age, and crippling disability, many people put it off or simply ignore it together until it's too late. Sadly, this unwillingness to face reality often creates serious hardship, expense, a...
Posted by Jason Johnson | May 16, 2022 |
Because estate planning involves actively thinking about and planning for frightening topics like death, old age, and crippling disability, many people put it off or simply ignore it all together until it's too late. Sadly, this unwillingness to face reality often creates serious hardship, expens...
Posted by Jason Johnson | May 09, 2022 |
Whether it's to qualify for Medicaid, avoid probate, or reduce your tax burden, transferring ownership of your home to your adult child during your lifetime may seem like a smart move. But in nearly all cases, it's actually a huge mistake, which can lead to dire consequences for everyone involved...
Posted by Jason Johnson | May 02, 2022 |
Do a Google search for “digital wills” or “online estate planning,” and you'll find dozens of different websites offering low-cost, do-it-yourself (DIY) and sometimes even free estate planning documents, such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives.
From LegalZoom® and Ro...
Posted by Jason Johnson | Apr 25, 2022 |
Do a Google search for “digital wills” or “online estate planning,” and you'll find dozens of different websites offering low-cost, do-it-yourself (DIY) and sometimes even free estate planning documents, such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives.
From LegalZoom® and Ro...
Posted by Jason Johnson | Apr 01, 2022 |
As a parent, you’re likely hoping to leave your children an inheritance. In fact, doing so may be one of the primary factors motivating your life’s work. But without taking the proper precautions, the wealth you pass on is at serious risk of being accidentally lost or squandered due to common life events, such as divorce, serious debt, devastating illness, and unfortunate accidents.
Posted by Jason Johnson | Mar 30, 2022 |
Unless you’ve created a proper estate plan, when you die many of your assets must first pass through the court process known as probate before those assets can be distributed to your heirs. Like most court proceedings, probate can be time-consuming, costly, and open to the public, and because of this, avoiding probate—and keeping your family out of court—is a central goal of most estate plans.
Posted by Jason Johnson | Mar 21, 2022 |
Estate planning attorney Jason C. Johnson discusses the use of revocable living trusts for estate planning.
Posted by Jason Johnson | Feb 17, 2022 |
Business owners are notorious for engrossing themselves in the day-to-day management and functions of their businesses. As a business owner, you are likely the heart and soul of the company you lead. Your clients love you, and you have built unique relationships with your contractors and suppliers.
Posted by Jason Johnson | Sep 17, 2021 |
We are proud to partner with Docubank to provide easy and secure access for storing healthcare and other documents that may be needed in an emergency.
Posted by Jason Johnson | Oct 11, 2019 |
Asset protection planning is about protecting your assets from creditors — and it is not just for the super-wealthy.
Anyone can get sued. Lawsuits can stem from car crashes, credit card debt, bank foreclosures, or unhappy customers, among many other things. If someone wins a monetary judgment aga...
Posted by Jason Johnson | Oct 11, 2019 |
Everyone has heard the terms “will” and “trust,” but not everyone knows the differences between the two. Both are useful estate planning devices that serve different purposes, and both can work together to create a complete estate plan.
One main difference between a will and a trust is that a wil...
Posted by Jason Johnson | Oct 11, 2019 |
Ideally, when a second marriage joins two families together, it should be a joyous occasion that creates one bigger family unit. Unfortunately, it too often also creates inheritance fights between stepparents and children. A good estate plan is necessary to help avoid these types of family squabb...
Posted by Jason Johnson | Oct 11, 2019 |
A durable power of attorney and a health care proxy are two very important estate planning documents. Both allow other people to make decisions for you in the event you are incapacitated. Because the individuals chosen will have to coordinate your care, it is important to pick two people who will...