Per Stirpes vs Per Capita: What Do These Mean in a Will?

April 24, 2025
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration, Wills & Trusts

A Will Is Part of Your Estate Plan Creating an estate plan is essential for ensuring that your wishes are honored regarding who inherits your money and property and that your loved ones are taken care of after you’re gone. It...

How Estate Plans Can Help Family Members Avoid Legal Battles

April 17, 2025
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration

The ongoing rivalries among the members of the Murdoch family or between Prince William and the Duke of Sussex may seem far from everyday reality. Yet drama, lost time, and broken relationships are a genuine problem in many immediate families,...

When, Why, and How to Talk About End-of-Life Care

April 3, 2025
Brian Hicks
Elder Law, Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration, Senior Living

Talking about death, especially one’s own death, remains a topic that most people avoid thinking about or openly discussing. However, avoiding conversations about death and end-of-life care can lead to discomfort, confusion, and unfulfilled wishes in the long run. According...

Spring Cleaning for Your Estate Plan: Review and Revise

March 27, 2025
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration, Wills & Trusts

Estate planning is a valuable aspect of financial and personal planning that ensures your assets are managed and distributed according to your wishes and that your health care preferences are followed. However, creating an estate plan is not a one-time...

Transfer-On-Death Accounts: A Useful Estate Planning Tool

March 13, 2025
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration

What Is a TOD Account? When considering how to pass your assets on to the next generation or other beneficiaries, you have many options. One tool in your estate planning toolkit is the transfer-on-death account. Transfer-on-death (TOD) accounts allow account owners...

Love Your Pet Day: Estate Planning and Your Companion Animal

February 13, 2025
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration

Having a pet comes with many benefits. Pets may offer companionship and loyalty, while quality time with your pet can decrease your stress levels. They can teach your children about responsibility and emotional skills. Their presence can also encourage you...

Estate Planning for a Vacation Home

February 6, 2025
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration, Wills & Trusts

If you are fortunate enough to own a vacation home, you need to figure out what will happen to it after you are gone. Many people in this situation hope to keep vacation homes in the family. Guaranteeing that can...

Avoiding 4 Main Obstacles to Digital-Era Estate Planning

January 22, 2025
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration

Identifying the digital property you own and managing it is more necessary than ever. From smart home devices to online investments and bank accounts, we’ve gone way beyond using the internet to email family and social media to connect with friends. In...

10 Do’s and 1 Don’t for the Trustee of a Trust

November 21, 2024
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration, Wills & Trusts

Whether it feels like an honor or a burden (or both), you may have been appointed to serve as the trustee of a trust. What sort of responsibilities do you face in this role, and what can you do to...

Who Needs a Trust Instead of a Will?

October 28, 2024
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration, Wills & Trusts

Creating an estate plan can protect your loved ones and establish your legacy. With an estate plan, you can provide for your loved ones after your death, transferring to them such assets as your home, vehicle, bank accounts, and personal...