I wrote the book on Minnesota probate.
Becoming a parent is frequently the reason why people choose to create estate plans. They worry that their children will be vulnerable if anything ever happens to them, so they take action to offset some of those risks. Whether you just learned about a pregnancy or...
Despite a significant increase in their popularity in recent years, prenuptial agreements still carry a significant amount of social stigma. People tend to associate a prenuptial agreement with one spouse trying to gain the upper hand over the other or a couple...
Many people have prized animals that they keep as both pets and assets. They may have a dog that is a national dog show winner or an animal that has taken the internet by storm and gained unimaginable fame. When you have a pet that is so valuable to you, it’s a good...
The person who serves as the administrator of an estate has many different responsibilities. They need to locate and secure the assets of the estate. They have to notify beneficiaries and creditors about probate proceedings. They have to file paperwork with the...
You share almost every aspect of your life with your spouse, so divorce will mean major upheaval for both of you. Once you sort out how to split up your property and handle matters involving any children that you share, you likely want to put the marriage behind you...
When you are looking into estate planning, one of the things you should remember is that it’s not all about passing on your assets. Certain parts of your estate plan are there to help protect your best interests and to make sure you’re cared for the way you want to be...
Many people feel that having a will is enough to help their family avoid probate after their death, but that isn’t necessarily the truth. A will doesn’t necessarily avoid probate, though it may make probate faster and easier. If you want to avoid probate, you need to...
Estate planning may not be a particularly fun process, but it is still very important. Putting the right documents in place now will protect you if you experience a medical emergency. It will also establish the legacy you want to leave behind, thereby protecting the...
Unequal bequests may create all manner of issues for a family after a parent’s passing, including increasing the odds of an estate dispute. When one person gets less than their siblings or other members of the will, they don’t always take it well. The perception of...
Parents often spend a long time thinking about the best and most reasonable way to split property among children in their estate plan. Some parents opt to evenly split everything among them. Others assign specific assets to certain people. Either approach has benefits...