The estate planning attorneys at Mullen Law Firm are fully equipped to provide services over the phone or through video conferencing. We can advise you throughout the process, and utilize phone, video, mail and limited socially distant meetings to coordinate the creation and execution of your estate plan.
3 Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid
Recent studies have shown that only a little more than half of all Americans have a Will or Trust document in place to direct their estate after they pass away, and that the vast majority of those documents have not been updated in the last five years.
Even worse, it’s been reported that...
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Borrowing From Your Retirement Accounts: Issues to Consider
So you have credit card debt, overdue mortgage payments, or suddenly need to buy a new car. We’ve all been there. You need money now, and your retirement accounts continue to climb. Fortunately, many employers allow you to take out loans on these accounts, but should you really begin spending that money before...
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Preserving and Protecting Documents Is Part of Healthy Estate Planning
In the unsettled time after a loved one’s death, imagine the added stress on the family if the loved one died without a will or any instructions on distributing his or her assets. Now, imagine the even greater stress to grieving survivors if they know a will exists but they cannot find it! It...
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What happens if you are bequeathed a car that no longer exists? The ABCs of Ademption
If you’re involved in settling a loved one’s estate, you may come across the curious word “ademption”. Ademption describes what happens when something designated in a will no longer exists.
What is Ademption?
Say, for example, your uncle dies and leaves for you in his will an old-school Harley Davidson motorcycle. However, if your uncle crashed...
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A Living Will or Health Care Power of Attorney? Or Do I Need Both?
Many people are confused by these two important estate planning documents. It’s important to understand the functions of each and ensure you are fully protected by incorporating both of these documents into your overall estate plan.
What is a Living Will?
A “living will,” often called an advance health care directive, is a legal document setting...
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Making Decisions About End of Life Medical Treatment
While advances in medicine allow people to live longer, questions are often raised about life-sustaining treatment terminally ill patients may or may not want to receive. Those who fail to formally declare these wishes in writing to family members and medical professionals run the risk of having the courts make these decisions.
Responsibilities and Obligations of the Executor/ Administrator
When a person dies with a will in place, an executor is named as the responsible individual for winding down the decedent's affairs. In situations in which a will has not been prepared, the probate court will appoint an administrator. Whether you have been named as an executor or administrator,...
Testamentary Substitutes
In states that have “elective share statutes,” a surviving spouse is legally entitled to a certain percentage of the deceased's estate, even if that spouse has attempted to disinherit or to provide a lesser bequest, or gift, under the will. In “separate property” states, an elective share statute is likely to be in effect. ...
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Preventing Will Contests
So, you have a will, but is it valid? A will can be contested for a multitude of reasons after it is presented to a probate court. It is in your best interest to have an attorney draft the will to prevent any ambiguity in the provisions of the document that others could...
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