by Madalyn Davis | Mar 6, 2018 | Estate Planning, Wills & Trust
One topic that comes up occasionally is whether a couple who has lived together for some period of time has a common law marriage? Let’s look at a specific case. Ricky and Cheri met in a coffee shop fifteen years ago, moved in to Ricky’s apartment, and the rest was...
by Madalyn Davis | Feb 27, 2018 | Estate Planning, Wills & Trust
From an estate planning attorney, here is the down and dirty about online Wills/estate plans: they can work. The most frequent issues that arise when I review an online estate plan are these. First, the Wills are not properly executed. For a Will to be valid in...
by Susan Grissom | Feb 20, 2018 | Estate Planning
The death of a parent is one of the most trying times in the life of an adult child. It can become more trying in instances where a deceased parent leaves behind more debt than his estate can cover. When that happens, you’re left wondering what your responsibility is...
by Susan Grissom | Feb 13, 2018 | Estate Planning
Establishing a trust is an important part of setting up and managing your estate. A trust allows you to place conditions on the distribution of your assets upon your demise and to provide for management during incapacity. It also allows you to distribute assets to...
by Susan Grissom | Feb 6, 2018 | Elder Care, Estate Planning, Probate, Special Needs Trust, Wills & Trust
When a loved one passes away in the state of Georgia, the probate and estate administration process begins. A petition is filed in the appropriate county and, once appointed, the executor or administrator of an estate is bound by the fiduciary duties imposed by...
by Susan Grissom | Jan 30, 2018 | Probate
When a family member dies, the probate process, using the court’s supervision, settles any outstanding debts. An estate’s executor is responsible for assembling necessary paperwork, and assessing the decedent’s debts and any outstanding taxes due prior to...
by Susan Grissom | Jan 23, 2018 | Estate Planning, Wills & Trust
When a loved one passes away, family members are tasked with many things which include making funeral arrangements and settling the deceased’s estate, in addition to navigating the grief process. These tasks become more difficult when family members are mired down in...
by Susan Grissom | Jan 16, 2018 | Estate Planning, Wills & Trust
Over the last 9 ½ years, I have seen several mistakes in executing Last Will and Testaments. It is important that your Last Will and Testament is executed in accordance with the laws in the State in which you are domiciled or in which the Last Will and Testament will...
by Susan Grissom | Jan 9, 2018 | Estate Planning, Wills & Trust
Are you ready to greet 2018 with New Year’s resolutions that have in built-in staying power? New Year’s resolutions that have real meaning behind them, benefit you, the people you love, and have the ability to have a meaningful effect on your life and the lives of...
by Susan Grissom | Jan 2, 2018 | Estate Planning
The IRS announced increases to the annual gift exclusion and lifetime estate/gift tax exemptions for 2018. The annual gift exclusion for 2018 is $15,000, up from $14,000 in 2017. You can give $15,000 to as many individuals as you would like without the gift counting...
