by Susan Grissom | Nov 10, 2020 | Probate
After someone passes, family and friends often wonder what to do next. This series will examine the steps of probate from the opening of an estate to the closing. First, you must understand what probate is. Probate is the legal, court process of distributing a...
by Susan Grissom | Nov 3, 2020 | Estate Planning, Probate
In many cases, when someone dies, the appointed executor professionally handles the estate. However, in some cases, an executor goes rogue. It seems that sometimes, a death in the family brings out the worst in people, including resentment between heirs, including the...
by Susan Grissom | Oct 27, 2020 | Probate
Part of the probate process is paying the claims that are filed. Even if a creditor doesn’t file a claim, if the executor or personal representative knows about it, he or she must still pay that liability. The personal representative must know in which order to pay...
by Susan Grissom | Oct 13, 2020 | Elder Care, Estate Planning
Our population is living longer, healthier, lives and continuing to live in their own homes or independent living centers. Many families live across multiple states and as their parents age, children may not be close by to help with the day-to-day tasks. While a...
by Susan Grissom | Oct 6, 2020 | Estate Planning, Special Needs Trust
If you have a family member with disabilities who relies on Medicaid and/or SSI, giving them money either as a gift during your lifetime or at death as an inheritance, may affect their government benefits, either reducing the benefit or causing them to lose the...