Studies show that more than 50 percent of people don't have any sort of estate planning documents ready. Many of those people probably believe that they don't need estate planning because they're very young and just starting out or don't have any assets they think...
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Kennett Square Pennsylvania Probate & Estate Law Blog
When the whereabouts of an heir to a will are unknown
Sometimes, when someone dies, it isn't the will that's hard to locate -- it's one of the heirs named in that will.Wills often get written down and virtually forgotten. In the time between their creation and the testator's death, however, someone named in the will as...
Battle to control Prince’s unpublished works begins
Prince didn't just leave behind a treasure-trove of unreleased recordings and unpublished music -- the prolific musician also left behind quite a mess for his estate administrators to sort out.Just about everyone who ever had a hand in Prince's career while the artist...
Supreme Court may change rules to better protect elder rights
There could be big changes coming to the way that nursing homes have traditionally operated, thanks to a case being heard by the United States Supreme Court.In the past, when a relative would check an elder into the nursing home, he or she would often be handed a...
Elder guardianship could be a form of financial abuse
Elder guardianship, when ordered by a judge against the wishes of the family and put into the hands of a stranger, is coming under fire all over the country.Many experts feel like it's a form of elder abuse. Those who have been victimized by the system tend to agree....
Elder financial abuse can evolve into estate fraud
The elderly are often targets for financial fraud simply because they trust the wrong relative to handle their affairs.Experts say that they've even seen cases of parents held hostage by their adult children. An adult child manages to get control of the parent (and...
4 signs your will could be challenged after you’re gone
Some families can't get along even in the best of times -- so you definitely can't count on them to get along during the worst of times.But what if you aren't sure whether or not your family will abide by your wishes once you're gone? Experts say that there are...
Watch for these common estate planning mistakes
If you have your will and trust documents ready you may be sitting comfortably with the belief that you have your estate needs handled -- but hold on.You might just have forgotten something very important: the name of the designated beneficiaries on your bank...
Estate planning for spouses of noncitzizens takes special care
You already know that estate planning is a complicated process, but that process can be even more difficult when your spouse is a nonresident alien for estate purposes.Because of the limitations that are imposed on spouse-to-spouse transfers of wealth in any given...
Why legal guardianship may be needed instead of power of attorney
Are you struggling with the question of whether or not you should try to obtain legal guardianship for an adult relative like a parent or sibling? If so, you aren't alone—it isn't easy to ask the court to deprive someone of the right to make his or her own...