Category: Guardianship

Make It Last – Ep 119 – Legal Risks of Living Together Unmarried After 50, Self Directed Investments, & Pension Buy-Outs

A potpourri of topics this week. In this episode, Victor explains the legal risks of living together, unmarried, after age 50. Estate planning laws favor couples who are married so what does that mean for everyone else? Then, Victor discusses an article that talks about the difference between people who are self directed in their[...]

Having a Baby? Have an Estate Plan First.

The beginning of life might seem like an odd time to start thinking about the end of life, but it’s precisely the right time. View image | gettyimages.com TIME Money magazine recently listed estate planning as one of the eight essential steps that new and expectant parents must take when a baby is on the[...]

Painless Estate Planning

Despite the grave importance of having an estate plan, a large amount of Americans still have not undertaken any steps towards drafting their estate plan. Often, people put the task aside because it is unpleasant to consider the reality of our deaths. A recent article suggests that, by simply preparing for a meeting with an[...]

Balloon Boy Fallout – Should Heenes Lose Custody of Children if Guilty of Hoax?

Amber Watson-Tardiff, who posts a regular column on NJ.com about Parenting Advice for New Jersey parents asked me to comment for an article she was writing about the fallout from Balloon Boy, including anticipating court intervention with the parents. You can read the whole article here - and I've pasted most of the column below[...]

More on Michael Jackson & Estate Planning

My friend Candice Aiston has posted a great article regarding the guardianship issues raised by Michael Jackson's early death. Here are the first two paragraphs and I urge you to visit her site and read the rest. Well-written and very informative: Like many people my age, I am a HUGE fan of "early" Michael Jackson. Loved[...]

Guardianship of Children With Special Needs

Two good posts coming from Leanna Hamill in Massachusetts and Tredway, Lumsdaine & Doyle in California on planning for children with special needs.  Among the excellent suggestions are the following: Special Needs Trust - allowing parents, grandparents and guardians to provide funds for a special needs child without disrupting eligibility for government aid. Exploring the[...]