Estate Planning

When you create a will, you do so with one clear goal in mind: to articulate how you wish to have your estate distributed when you die. And most often, the court will recognize and enforce your will.  However, a will can also be the subject of a costly court battle....

If one of your primary goals for your estate plan is to prevent your estate from having to go through a long probate process, you’re likely considering placing your most valuable assets in a revocable living trust. This is a good way to make things easier for your...

It can be difficult to bring up estate planning topics with your parents. You may be very interested in finding out if they’ve made a plan – or concerned if you think they haven’t – but it feels self-serving to bring up estate planning, as if you’re just curious about...

As a business owner, safeguarding your interests and those of your business is paramount. You don't need to wait until the inevitable happens before you put your affairs in order. If you own a business, one of the most pertinent questions you want answers to is how...

Estate planning is an important part of life. However, many people of all ages put it off – sometimes indefinitely. Some of the most common reasons people put off estate planning are described here. Misconceptions about estate planning Some people don’t think about...

Every state has its own rules when it comes to the obligations placed on the personal representative of an estate. Here in Minnesota, a bond isn’t necessarily required of a personal representative. However, you should think long and hard about the issue before you...

Adults in Minnesota who are preparing for retirement need to consider not just what resources they currently have but also whether those assets might be vulnerable if they experience financial challenges later in life or if creditors engage in collection activity...

There is always another excuse that someone can find to justify putting off estate planning a little bit longer. At first, they went to wait until after their wedding. Then they want to wait until they have stopped adding children to the family. Realistically, anyone...

Being an executor of somebody’s estate is a big job, and there are a lot of different things that have to be handled. Far too often, however, people pick their executors based on who is their closest relative – whether that’s a spouse or an adult child – instead of...

Powers of attorney are legal documents that give one adult the right to act on the behalf of another legal adult. Some people draft powers of attorney to transfer Financial authority to a person they trust in the event of an emergency. Other people create powers of...