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So, you’re officially divorced. In starting this new chapter of life, you should update your estate planning documents as soon as possible. You may no longer be legally married, but divorce does not automatically remove your prior spouse from your will, trust, or beneficiary designations. Here are some items to consider updating: Change Your Advance…

Your mother would probably say that, wouldn’t she? How often have you wished that you had listened to your mother? Nobody really wants to think in advance about accidents or illness. But if no advance planning has been done, and if an elderly parent has broken a hip, say, and is about to be discharged…

Revocable trusts are a very popular and useful estate planning tool. But the trust will be ineffective if you do not actually place your assets in the trust. Revocable trusts are an effective way to avoid probate and provide for asset management in the event of incapacity. In addition, revocable trusts — sometimes called “living”…

California is making big changes to how it determines Medi-Cal, Medicaid in every other state, eligibility for long-term care by eliminating the requirement that applicants have limited assets. While the rules apply only to California right now, other states may follow suit. Medicaid covers long-term care for the elderly and people with disabilities who qualify…

When people pass away, their assets go through probate — a legal process that distributes the person’s assets after death. The parties to an estate are the people involved in the probate process. Although not technically a party to the estate, the deceased person — called the testator or decedent — is essential. When people…

November will mark National Family Caregivers Month. You may have a caregiver in your life to whom you wish to bestow your gratitude by designating them as an heir in your estate plan. Whether your caregiver is your own child — or a niece, nephew, grandchild, godchild, stepchild, or even a caregiver who is not…

An estate plan often focuses on tangible property such as jewelry, artwork, money, and vehicles. However, in this age of technology, it is important to remember to include your digital assets. Digital assets consist of everything we own online. Because we spend more time on computers and smartphones than we ever did before, you may…

Although the vast majority of Americans have estates that fall under the estate and gift tax exemption, the exemption is set to be cut in half in 2026. Proper planning may be necessary to make sure you are taking full advantage of the current exemption and aren’t negatively affected when it decreases. The federal estate…

Is your family of the “Leave It to Beaver” variety — opposite-gender parents, the first marriage for each, one or more kids, all healthy and thriving? If so, your estate plan will probably be pretty straightforward. But if not, it’s not as simple and you have a lot of company. The percentage of married households…

Five years ago, cryptocurrency was probably not on your radar. Today, it may be an important investment in your portfolio. You could even own some nonfungible tokens (NFTs), which are powered by the same blockchain-based technology. Despite the dizzying fluctuations in the value of these assets, you should ensure that they are included in your…