Library

Estate Planning Articles:

• Estate Planning Challenges for Business Owners (January 10)
  The survival rate of family businesses from generation to generation is rather dismal. To help prevent your business from becoming an unfortunate statistic tomorrow, we review some common challenges for you to address today (before it is too late).
• Procrastination & Estate Planning (December 09)
  Why doesn’t everyone have their final affairs in order, especially in light of the likelihood of incapacity and the certainty of death? This article takes aim at the chief culprit: procrastination.
• Seasonal Solutions: The Stages of Life & Estate Planning (November 09)
  To everything there is a season. So it is with your Life & Estate Plan. This article uses a Seasons of Life theme to illustrate how your Life & Estate Plan may change with your personal and financial circumstances over your lifetime.
• Admirable Estate Administration (October 09)
  Have you appointed trusted family members, friends or professionals to serve as the fiduciaries of your estate plan upon your death? If so, our lead article is a must-read as we review some of the responsibilities (and liabilities) they will face.
• Estate Planning Challenges for Blended Families (September 09)
  Is your family a blended family? If so, then you face unique inheritance challenges, to include disinheriting your ex-spouse, providing for your new spouse and your own children, and protecting their inheritance.
• Unique Estate & Financial Challenges for Women (August 09)
  Women face unique Life and Estate Planning Issues, and yet too often their own needs are overlooked. They are too busy taking care of everyone else -- their families, their careers, parents, social causes.
• Elder Law Elements (July 09)
  Good news, bad news. The good news: Americans are living longer than ever. The bad news: we eventually wear out physically, mentally, or both. In this article we review two challenges: becoming incapacitated and going broke due to long-term care.
• Estate Planning for Unmarried Couples (June 09)
  Even though cohabitation is legal in the majority of states, unmarried cohabitants face unique estate planning challenges regarding incapacity, inheritance, and estate taxation. In this article we will review such challenges and some of the potential problems they can cause.
• Solo Solutions (May 09)
  Being single can mean considerable personal and economic freedom. Nevertheless, just like your married counterparts, proper Life & Estate Planning is necessary to keep you in control.
• Marital Matters (April 09)
  Most married couples, whether celebrating their six-month or their sixtieth anniversary, have the mistaken belief that they can make personal, health care and financial decisions for one another, without outside interference, should either spouse become disabled. Nothing could be further from the truth.
• Supplemental Needs (March 09)
  Parents of children with special needs face unique challenges, both in providing for the children while both parents are alive as well as providing for them after both parents are deceased. This is true whether the children are minors (e.g., under age 18 in most states) or adults.
• Joint Tenancy Traps (February 09)
  While Joint Tenancy is most commonly found between married couples in common law states, residents of community property states like Nevada also should understand it, especially given the mobile nature of our society.

Online Resources:

• www.docubank.com -- DocuBank® is an electronic storage and access service for your advance directives (living will, health care power of attorney, and/or other health care documents).
• www.ethicalwill.com -- Ethical wills are a way to share your values, life lessons, hopes and dreams for the future, love, and forgiveness with your family and community. Initially, ethical wills were transmitted orally. Over time, they evolved into written documents. 'Ethical wills' are not considered legal documents as compared to 'living wills' and your 'last will and testament' which are.
• www.kjuice.com -- KJCE Talk Radio 1370 AM
• www.clsnet.org -- Christian Legal Society is a national non-denominational membership organization of attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students, working in association with others, to follow Jesus' command "to do justice with the love of God." (Luke 11:42; Matthew 23:23).
• www.morethanmoney.org -- Money is a potent vehicle for change. What does it mean to have more than others? How can you use your wealth to create a better world? What struggles do you face in becoming effective stewards of your money, and how can you overcome them?
• www.savingforcollege.com -- Saving for College.com is a great site to learn more information about saving for college. You will find general information regarding 529 plans, Coverdale Education Accounts and other creative ideas.
• www.thehungersite.com -- Click here to give food away!
• www.irs.gov -- Come to obtain any tax forms and learn the latest news from the IRS about our taxes for this April.
• www.medicare.gov -- This is the official government site for Medicare related questions.
• www.hhsc.state.tx.us -- Texas Department of Health and Human Services Commission is a state agency is involved in the regulation of the Texas Medicaid Program. This site has general information regarding Medicaid and nursing homes.