Having been a trust and estates lawyer since 1994 I know everybody grieves differently. I should also say there is no “right” way to grieve. Some people go into a shell for a year, or two, or forever. Some people get super active and organized. I don’t know what’s “better” as I don’t think there […]

If you are reading this you are either in the hospital or you have a loved one in the hospital. I am sorry for your situation.  We do make hospital visits to help people set up or improve their estate plans.  However, please note it is imperative that the person is not heavily medicated and […]

This from Leimberg.com, which is a great financial and estate planning resource, the latest AFR rates: For a complete history of AFRs and 7520 Rates and for information on NumberCruncher Estate and Financial Planning Software, go to https://www.leimberg.com

I was reminded again yesterday that Legal Zoom (legalzoom.com) is not right for everybody.  In my opinion Legal Zoom is great for VERY simple situations. If you want a simple will or simple power of attorney it may be fine to use Legal Zoom for your document creation. They can create simple forms and probably […]

I work, at least a little bit, even when on vacation. Today, for example, my family and I played in the ocean waters in the morning. Now we are hanging out and checking email. I have already replied to all client emails sitting in my inbox.  I find that my client’s like me to personally […]

Any reason to not use a Certified Specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law?  Ok, there isn’t any good reason I admit it.  You MIGHT save a few dollars as some attorneys, who are not specialists, charge less. However, do you really want to entrust all of your hard earned assets and your family’s […]

Many people, especially those with children, desire getting their estate plan done (or updated) before a big trip.  Sure this may be an irrational fear to a degree as everybody has heard you are more likely to get in a car accident close to home than have a plane crash. However, it’s an extremely common […]

This is the complete listing of AFR rates for June 2012 straight from the IRS website. I hope it assists you.   Section 1274.–Determination of Issue Price in the Case of Certain Debt Instruments Issued for Property (Also Sections 42, 280G, 382, 412, 467, 468, 482, 483, 642, 807, 846, 1288, 7520, 7872.) Rev. Rul. […]

Lost a good friend today.  Jonathan was only 44 years old.  Lost a battle with a brain tumor.  Of course I talk to clients every day of the week who are dying, who have just lost a loved one or, in the best case, are talking about dying in the distant future. In all my […]

The topic of attorney fees comes up a lot…. ok, well every day. I like to be open and honest with my clients; transparent if you will. Thus I thought a post about legal fees would be welcome by many people. This is my JOB. This is how I pay my mortgage, feed my family, […]