by Susan Grissom | Dec 1, 2020 | Probate
Once the Executor or Administrator has received their Letters, obtained an EIN, and opened a bank account for the estate, it’s time to marshal the assets. Marshalling the assets simply means finding everything the decedent owned and consolidating it into the estate’s...
by Susan Grissom | Nov 24, 2020 | Estate Planning
Happy Thanksgiving! As I take the time this week to reflect on my blessings, I would also like to take the opportunity to tell each of our clients and partners thank you! We count you, our clients and partners, among the blessings we have received! The dictionary...
by Susan Grissom | Nov 17, 2020 | Probate
In our last blog, we discussed the Petition to begin Probate. After the Petition is submitted and accepted by the court, the person who will be administering the estate (the Executor, Administrator or Personal Representative), will go to the courthouse and take an...
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 Madalyn Davis | Oct 20, 2020 | Business, Corporate
After you create a new business, LLC, LP, Corporation, or other entity, you will likely receive a letter titled a “Certificate of Existence Request Form” that looks similar to the one below: The letter claims that you need to send money (anywhere from $70-$100,...
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...
by Susan Grissom | Sep 29, 2020 | Estate Planning, Wills & Trust
While none of us plan to die early, life sometimes throws us curveballs. An accident could take the life of parents still caring for minor children or children who have recently become emancipated. As much as you have tried to teach your child to manage money, he or...