trust – Experience a Richer Way to Wealth

Posted on April 24, 2023 by admin

If you’re a pet owner, you know the special bond that exists between you and your pets, and to many pet owners, our furry friends aren’t just a pet – they’re a loved and important part of our families. So if you’re thinking about how best to provide for your family after you die or if you become incapacitated, it makes sense for your beloved pet to be a part of the plan.

You want your pet to continue to have the kind of love and care you provided during your life, but estate planning for furry friends requires a little more thought than you might expect.

To understand why, it’s important to know two things:

A pet is considered property under the law.
When someone receives a gift of property through a will, that person can do whatever they want with that property, including your pet.

A Will Won’t Cut It

While you see them as part of the family, under the law, a pet is considered personal property, just like your money, furniture, and clothes. Because of this, you can’t actually leave money or possessions to your pet directly through your will or trust. Even if you try to leave money directly to your pet in your will, the money will instead skip your pet and pass to the beneficiaries you named to receive the remainder of your possessions. Or, if you didn’t name anyone else, the court will give your possessions, including your pet, to your next of kin, as determined under the law.

Worst of all, the person that receives your pet and money for its care through your will has no legal obligation to use that money for your pet’s care or to even keep your pet at all. That’s why it’s so critically important to work with an estate planning attorney who knows the proper way to plan for your pet, so that when you die or if you become incapacitated, your beloved companion won’t end up in an animal shelter or given away to anyone you wouldn’t want raising your beloved familiar.

A Will Provides No Guarantees For Their Future

Because you can’t leave money to your pet directly, your first thought might be to leave your pet and money for its care to someone you trust through your will instead. While this is an option, it’s not guaranteed to work.

That’s because the person you name as the beneficiary of your pet in your will has no legal obligation to use the funds you leave for your pet’s care for that purpose. Even if you leave detailed instructions for your pet’s care, there is no law holding the beneficiary to accept the responsibility of caring for your pet or stopping them from changing their mind in the future after the court probate process is finished.

You might be thinking that the person you’d leave your pet to loves them and would never think of abandoning them. But even if this person is committed to caring for your pet, it’s simply impossible to predict what circumstances might occur in the future that could make it impossible for them to provide for your pet for your pet’s full lifetime.

For example, when you die, the new caregiver might:

Live in an apartment or condo that doesn’t allow pets
Suffer from an unforeseen illness that makes it difficult to care for your pet
Have an allergy to your pet you knew nothing about
Become so busy with work or family that they just don’t have the time to make a lifelong commitment to your pet’s care

A Will Isn’t Fast Enough

The other issue a will creates for your pet is that a will is required by law to go through the court process known as probate before any of your property can be distributed to the people you’ve named, and of course, it only operates in the event of your death, not your incapacity.

The probate process itself can take months or even years to complete. During that time, your pet could be passed around between family members and friends, who may even argue over who should care for it. In the worst-case scenario, no one may even think to check in on your pet regularly while the court process is unfolding.

Plus, a will only goes into effect upon your death, so if you’re incapacitated by accident or illness, it would do nothing to protect your companion. This leaves your pet in limbo and vulnerable to being re-homed to someone you wouldn’t have chosen or wanted to care for your pet. In the worst scenario, your pet could be surrendered to a shelter by the time everything gets figured out.

Provide Long-Lasting Care for Your Pet Through a Pet Trust

In order to be completely confident that your pet is properly taken care of and that the money you leave for its care is used exactly as intended, ask us to help you create a pet trust.

By creating a pet trust, you can lay out detailed, legally binding rules for how your pet’s chosen caregiver (the trustee) can use the funds you leave for your furry friend. And unlike a will, a pet trust doesn’t go through probate, so it goes into effect immediately in the event you become incapacitated or pass away, whereas a will requires the court process called probate to take place before any decisions can officially be made about your pet.

Additionally, in a pet trust, you can name backup trustees who will receive your pet and any funds left for them if the first person you chose as trustee declines to take your pet or isn’t able to care for them in the future. To add even more certainty to your pet’s future, you can name multiple trustees for your pet. In this way, you’d have two people invested in the care of your pet who can see that the money you leave for its care is used wisely.

Finally, all of the care decisions and financial distributions for the care of your pet will happen in the privacy of our office, in the event of your death or incapacity. We’ll guide your decision-makers about how and why you made your decisions, and how they need to care for your pet to receive distributions. You’ll literally have a lawyer ensuring the care of your pet happens as you would want it. While that may seem excessive for some, we have many clients who care that much about the well-being of their pets and want to ensure their care is handled as they want.

Do Right By Your Pet

Don’t leave your beloved pet’s future up to chance. Let us help you create a pet trust that will provide for your furry friend’s long-term care and be there for your pet and your decision-makers when you cannot be.

At our firm, we can help you create a legally binding pet trust that outlines detailed rules for how your pet’s chosen caregiver can use the funds you leave for their care. Unlike a will, a pet trust doesn’t go through probate, which means it goes into effect immediately if you become incapacitated or pass away. We’ll be there for the people you love when you cannot.

This article is a service of Brittany Cohen, Personal Family Lawyer. We don’t just draft documents; we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love. That’s why we offer a Family Wealth Planning Session, during which you’ll get more financially organized than you’ve ever been before and make all the best choices for the people you love. You can begin by calling our office today to schedule a Family Wealth Planning Session and mention this article to find out how to get this $750 session at no charge.

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Posted on February 6, 2023 by admin

Being asked by a loved one to serve as Trustee for their Trust upon their death can be quite an honor, but it’s also a significant responsibility—and the role isn’t for everyone. Indeed, serving as a Trustee entails a broad array of duties, and you’re both ethically and legally required to execute those duties or face potential liability.

Before you say yes, be sure you understand what it means to be a Trustee.

In the end, your responsibility as a Trustee will vary greatly depending on the size of the estate, the type of assets covered by the Trust, the type of Trust, how many beneficiaries there are, and the document’s terms. In light of this, you should carefully review the specifics of the Trust you would be managing before deciding to serve.

And remember, you don’t have to take the job.

Yet, depending on who nominated you, declining to serve may not be an easy or practical option. On the other hand, you might enjoy the opportunity to serve so long as you understand what’s expected.

To that end, this article offers a brief overview of what serving as a Trustee typically entails. If you’re asked to serve as Trustee, feel free to contact us to support you in evaluating whether you can effectively carry out all the duties or if you should politely decline.

A Trustee’s Primary Responsibilities

Although every Trust is different, serving as a Trustee comes with a few core requirements: managing assets held in the name of the Trust, accounting for those assets, and following the terms of the Trust regarding distributions of income and/or principal to the beneficiaries of the Trust.

Remember, a Trust is simply an agreement between the grantor and the distribution of assets. The Trust agreement directs distribution to a Trustee to hold and manage the assets “inside the Trust” for the benefit of the beneficiaries.

As a Trustee, you’ll be acting as a “fiduciary,” meaning you must act in the best interests of the beneficiaries of the Trust. And if you fail to abide by your duties as a fiduciary, you can face legal liability. For this reason, if you’re named as Trustee, you should hire us to review the Trust Agreement and provide an analysis of the specific duties and responsibilities required of you before you agree to serve.

Regardless of the terms of the Trust or the assets it holds or will hold, some of your key responsibilities as Trustee include the following:

Identifying and gathering the Trust assets
Determining what the Trust’s terms require in terms of management and distribution of the assets
Hiring and overseeing an accounting firm to file income and estate taxes for the Trust
Communicating regularly with beneficiaries
Being scrupulously honest, highly organized, and keeping detailed records of all transactions
Closing the Trust when the Trust terms specify

No Experience Necessary

It’s important to point out that being a Trustee does NOT require you to be an expert in the law, finance, taxes, or any other field related to Trust administration. Trustees aren’t only allowed to seek outside support from professionals in these areas, but they’re also highly encouraged to do so, and the Trust estate will pay for you to hire these professionals.

So even though serving as a Trustee may seem daunting, you won’t have to handle the job alone. And you’re also able to be paid to serve as a Trustee of a Trust.

That said, many Trustees, particularly close family members, often choose to forgo any payment beyond what’s required to cover the Trust expenses, if that’s possible. But how you’re compensated will depend on your personal circumstances, your relationship with the Trust’s creator and beneficiaries, and the nature of the assets in the Trust.

We Can Help

Because serving as a Trustee involves such serious responsibility, you should meet with us to help decide whether to accept the role. We can offer you a clear, unbiased assessment of what’s required of you based on the Trust’s terms, assets, and beneficiaries.

And if you choose to serve, it’s even more critical to have an experienced lawyer in estate planning to assist you with the Trust’s administration. We can guide you step-by-step throughout the entire process, ensuring you properly fulfill all of the Trust creator’s wishes without exposing the beneficiaries—or yourself—to any unnecessary risks. Contact us today to learn more.

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Posted on January 16, 2023 by admin

When it comes to estate planning and wills, you have a variety of options for legal documents. The most common of these options is a “last will and testament,” which is also known simply as a “will.” But you may have also heard people talk about a “living will” and wonder what that is, and whether you need a living will in addition to a regular last will and testament.

Both terms describe important legal documents used in estate planning, but their purpose and function differ significantly. In this article, we’ll review some of the most critical things you need to know about living wills and why having a living will is essential to every adult’s estate plan. And it may be that a living will is even more important than a last will and testament.

What Is A Living Will?

A living will, also called an advance healthcare directive, is a legal document that tells your loved ones and doctors how you would want your medical care handled if you become incapacitated and cannot make such decisions yourself, particularly at the end of life. Specifically, a living will outlines the procedures, medications, and treatments you would want and would not want to prolong your life if you cannot make such decisions yourself.

For example, within the terms of your living will, you can articulate certain decisions, such as if and when you would want life support removed should you ever require it and whether you would want hydration and nutrition supplied to prolong your life.

Beyond instructions about your medical care, a living will can even describe what type of food you want and who can visit you in the hospital. These are critical considerations for your well-being at a time of greatest need for you. And if you haven’t provided any specific instructions, decisions will be made on your behalf that you likely won’t want.

Living Will vs. Last Will And Testament

Upon death, a last will and testament ensure your assets are distributed as you choose. Note that your last will only deals with your assets and only operates upon your death. In contrast, a living will is about you, not your assets. And it operates in the event of your incapacity, not your death.

In other words, a last will tells others what you want to happen to your wealth and property after you die, while a living will tells others how you want your medical treatment managed while you’re still alive. And that’s really important for you and your care!

Living Will vs. Medical Power of Attorney

Medical power of attorney is the part of an advance healthcare directive that allows you to name a person, known as your “agent,” to make healthcare decisions for you if you’re incapacitated and unable to make those decisions yourself.

Simply put, medical power of attorney names those who can make medical decisions in the event of your incapacity, while a living will explains how you would want your medical care handled during your incapacity.

Why Having A Living Will Is So Important

A living will is a vital part of every adult’s estate plan, as it can ensure your medical treatment is handled exactly the way you want if you cannot communicate your needs and wishes. Additionally, a living will can prevent your family from undergoing needless trauma and conflict during an already trying time.

Without a living will, your family would have to guess what treatments you might want, and your loved ones are likely to experience stress and guilt over the decisions they make on your behalf. In worst cases, your family members could even end up battling one another in court over who should manage your medical care and how.

Should You Rely On A Living Will Created Online?

While there’s a wide selection of living wills, medical power of attorney, and other advance directive documents online, you likely want more guidance and peace of mind than is available through an online service to support you to address such critical decisions adequately. Regarding your medical treatment and end-of-life care, you have unique needs and wishes that cannot be anticipated or adequately addressed by generic documents or without the counseling and guidance we can provide through your decision-making process.

To ensure your directives are tailored to suit your unique situation, work with us to create and/or review your living will.

How We Can Help

Even if you have a professionally prepared and well-thought-out living will, it won’t be worth the paper it’s printed on if nobody knows about it. A living will comes into effect the second you sign it, so you should immediately deliver copies to your agent, alternate agents, primary care physician, and other medical specialists.

Additionally, don’t forget to give those folks new versions whenever you update those documents and have them destroy the old documents. Delivering the latest copies of your living will and other estate planning documents is a standard part of our Life & Legacy Planning Process. We ensure that everyone who needs your documents always has the latest version.

Since unforeseen illness or injury could strike at any time, don’t wait to plan your will. Contact us to get this critical document in place. Call us today to schedule an appointment.

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Posted on January 2, 2023January 2, 2023 by admin

If you’re looking to create your last will and testament, or will, online, you’ll find dozens of websites that let you prepare a variety of estate planning documents for very little money, and even for free. With so many do-it-yourself online document services out there, you might believe you can create your will online, all on your own, without paying a lawyer to help.

And in some cases, you can create your will online.

But if you do, you need to understand how these services can backfire on you and your family. Online estate planning can be a catastrophe for those who aren’t aware of the risks. And as you’ll see, creating your will online without a lawyer’s guidance can even be worse for your family than if you’d done nothing at all.

Know what’s possible—and what’s not

A great way to start educating yourself is by watching this training video by family financial and legal expert Ali Katz. This free, one-hour training clarifies what you can do yourself online, and when you really need a lawyer’s support. The training also gives you access to an online tool you can use to create an inventory of all your assets, which is critically important to leave to your loved ones, no matter how much or little you have to pass on.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking to create your own will online, first ask yourself the following 3 questions. After considering these 3 questions, if you determine you can create your own will online, you should seriously consider having us review it for you once you complete the document to be certain you’ve properly covered everything and everyone you care about.

01 – Will your online will keep your family out of court?

When considering creating your own will online, the first question you need to ask yourself is: “Should I become incapacitated or when I die, do I want to keep my family out of court?” If your answer is “Yes, I 100% want to keep my family out of court,” then creating your own will online may not be the best idea.

While a will is a necessary element of most estate plans, it’s typically just one small part of an integrated plan. And a will by itself won’t keep your family out of court. In order for assets covered by your will to be transferred to your beneficiaries, your will must first pass through the court process known as probate.

During probate, the court oversees the administration of your estate and assets, ensuring your assets are distributed according to your wishes, while ensuring any creditors of your estate are paid, and managing any disputes that arise. Probate is lengthy, expensive, and open to the public, so you’ll want to have more than a will in place if you have any assets that would go through court in the event of your incapacity or death.

To avoid probate and keep your assets out of court, your will needs to be combined with other planning documents and important conversations as well. These documents include a properly drafted and funded trust, up-to-date and effective beneficiary designations, and you’ll also need to have conversations with family to ensure they won’t end up in conflict due to your lack of preparation.

Beneficiary designations and trust planning can be complex, and if you have assets that would otherwise pass through the court process, it may be difficult to ensure you’re making all the right choices for your loved ones and your assets using an online document service. This is why we recommend that you begin your estate planning with a Family Wealth Planning Session, during which we can help you look at your family dynamics and your assets, and then we can assess what would happen to everything you have and everyone you love, when something happens to you. During this planning session, we can then determine the right plan for you and the people you love to help keep them out of court when something happens to you.

02 – Is your online will’s execution legally valid?

If you don’t have assets that would go through the court process, and you want to create an online will simply to name someone as your executor in the event of your death, you’ll want to make sure your online will is legally valid.

Each state has specific laws stipulating how a will must be documented and signed to be legally binding. If you fail to execute your will in accordance with these laws, the court can deem your will legally invalid.

If the court deems your will invalid, it’s as if the document never existed. In that case, a judge would name the person it considers is best to handle your estate, and your assets would be distributed according to state intestacy laws, which typically give priority to your closest living blood relatives.

If you want to ensure your online will is legally valid, you can look up your state’s laws governing the valid execution of a will. From there, make certain you sign it properly, with the right number and type of witnesses.

03 – Does your online will properly name an executor?

If you’re going to create your own online will, the last question to consider is whether the will properly names an executor, along with back-up executors, and it ensures that those you name will be appointed by the court in the event of your death.

An executor, also called a “personal representative,” is the person responsible for carrying out the instructions in your will. Your executor is typically named in your will and appointed by the court to locate and manage your assets, pay any outstanding debts and taxes you owe, and distribute your remaining assets to your beneficiaries.

If you don’t name an executor in your will, or the person you choose is determined to be unfit, the court will appoint an executor for you. As an example of how things can go wrong here, one common situation in which a named executor can be determined to be unfit is if your will doesn’t waive the requirement for the executor to obtain a bond, and your named executor cannot qualify for a bond. This is a frequent mistake made by those who create their own will online.

If you’re unaware of these requirements when creating your online will, your chosen executor could be deemed unfit, leaving the choice up to the court. We can make certain your choice for executor is properly qualified, so you can rest easy knowing someone you know and trust will handle your final affairs and support your loved ones when you no longer can.

The Professional Support You Deserve

As you can see, creating your will online without a lawyer’s help is a huge gamble, and if you get it wrong, it can cost your family a lot more than money. Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all document service, meet with us to create your will and other estate planning documents.

Our Life & Legacy Planning Process is specifically designed to put in place the right combination of planning solutions to fit with your unique asset profile, family dynamics, budget, as well as your overall goals and desires. Until then, if you need to get your plan started or need us to review your existing documents, contact us today

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