Are your clients wondering what information they need to create a moving, memorable memorial service or funeral? They can use this handy checklist of questions to have answered BEFORE a loved one dies. Many of these questions are directed to “you,” but you can direct them to someone else. Have arrangements been made for cremation or burial […]

After that title, who doesn’t want to read this blog? Here’s the disclaimer – this blog was written by a nerd for other nerds. Non-nerds may continue reading at their own risk…of becoming a nerd. Any practitioner in the Estate Planning world considers the impact that estate, gift, generation-skipping transfer, and inheritance taxes will have […]

It’s easy to get caught up in a trap doing work that “feels” productive—but in all reality, you may just be pretending to be busy. If you “spend time with a prospect or a client” you may go home feeling, “well… it was a great day, most of my time was spent with a possible […]

Many of us dream about suddenly inheriting assets from a long-lost uncle. No doubt, some have experienced that new-found wealth and were overjoyed when it occurred. Sometimes, however, that wealth may not be desirable. Some clients have assets that exceed the amount they could spend in their lifetime, will have an estate tax issue, and […]

Woo-hoo! The Academy turns 30 and it’s time to celebrate! 30 years doesn’t happen by accident. It takes a group of dedicated and hard-working people, an A Team, to make this happen. To mark this epic milestone, I’ve got something exciting in store. In this blog, I will reveal 30 fascinating things you might not […]

The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys (the “Academy”) held its annual Spring Summit in the Windy City. When I deplaned in Chicago, it was impossible to miss the connection between the vibrancy of the Windy City and our 30-year celebration. Upon my arrival at our hotel, in typical fashion, Members rushed over to welcome […]

When it comes to generating leads for your law firm, there are a lot of different strategies that you can use. And while some firms may be successful with just one or two lead generation strategies, the truth is that the more strategies you use, the better your results will be. There are several different […]

Revocable Trusts lay the foundation for many an Estate Plan. They serve various functions, like avoiding probate, planning for incapacity, protecting beneficiaries, and providing continuity after death. Revocable Trusts provide the grantor with flexibility by giving the grantor the right to change the trust during their lifetime. Well-written trusts contain explicit instructions regarding the steps […]

Organ donation saves lives, even as the donor loses theirs. April is National Donate Life Month. It’s designed to encourage people to register to be organ donors and to talk to their families about it. But few people outside of hospital staff see the process in action. I’ve recently been spending a lot of time […]

Married individuals may decide to create a joint trust to address their Estate Planning needs.  Joint trusts make sense in community property states because those states consider assets accumulated during the marriage as community assets and require that both spouses have equal management rights with respect to the community assets.  Joint trusts may provide benefits […]