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...

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...

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.

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,...

Inheritance laws involve legal rights to property after a death and such laws differ from state-to-state.  Heirs usually consist of close family members and exclude estranged relatives. Depending on the wording of a will, an individual can be intentionally, or even unintentionally, disinherited. In most cases, spouses may not be legally disinherited. Certain contracts, however,...