Posts Tagged ‘will’

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Why You Should Pre-Plan Your Funeral if You Want to Be Cremated

Wednesday, March 28th, 2012

Why You Should Pre-Plan Your Funeral if You Want to Be CrematedFuneral planning is one of the most personal and difficult things that anyone undertakes. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the funeral of a parent, a child, a brother, or a spouse—making the decisions that will lay your loved one to rest for all of eternity is something no one can be prepared to face.

Funeral traditions, those often somber practices that include ornate caskets, reverent music, and religious eulogies, exist to help those decisions become easier to make. There is a small measure of comfort to be derived from knowing that your loved one is following the same path that millions of people have traversed before.

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Funeral Planning: What is a Living Trust?

Monday, May 9th, 2011

Funeral Planning: What is a Living Trust?Although much of the information you’ll find online regarding funeral planning has to do with funeral pre-plans and the kind of funeral insurance that allows you to tie your money into a specific funeral home, there are actually many different types of financial and legal steps you can take to secure your estate.

One such option in funeral planning is a living trust. Like a will, a living trust allows you to allocate your money and resources to your dependents. However, unlike a will, this contract can take effect while you are still alive. This not only makes a lot of the proceedings an easier transition, but you can cause your estate to avoid probate so that your family doesn’t have to wait for the legal system to process everything before they gain control of their inheritance.

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Legal Issues That May Arise After Death

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

Legal Issues That May Arise After DeathThe death of a loved one can be one of the most trying times in a person’s life.  Between planning for the funeral, gathering friends and family together to grieve and dealing with your own emotions, it can undoubtedly be an exhausting and trying time.  However, it’s important to remember that the time after your loved one’s death is crucial to your own financial and legal well-being, and there may be several issues and affairs of the estate that need to be addressed once the funeral is over.

Of course, one of the most common legal issues that arise after the death of a loved one is that of finances, especially when it comes to any debts or unpaid bills that are left behind.  If your loved one leaves behind a will and an estate with clear instructions as to how assets should be allocated, then there shouldn’t be many legal ramifications for you and your relatives.  If there’s no will, however, then it might be a good idea to hire a lawyer and an accountant, as you’ll encounter several legal and financial issues when dividing assets amongst relatives, creditors and lenders.

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How to Write Your Own Will

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

How to Write Your Own WillHow To Write Your Own Will

No one likes to talk about his or her own death.  However, unless you hire an estate lawyer or write your will yourself, you could end up leaving your family and other loved ones with a massive legal bill and other problems that could prove to be a difficult burden.

Wills are not just for those with an extensive amount of assets; wills can cover everything from how you’d like certain heirlooms and trinkets distributed to loved ones, who you want to look after your children should you die before them and what assets you’d like liquidated in order to pay for any debts that you might leave behind.  In short, a will is absolutely essential for both your family’s peace of mind, and that of your own.

Yet if you’re not sure of where to begin, writing a will can seem like a daunting if not downright impossible task.  This is why many individuals choose to hire a lawyer for assistance, as a good lawyer can answer any difficult questions about legal processes that happen to your estate upon your death.  Before you choose a lawyer, however, make sure you arrange a time to meet where you can ask certain questions that will help clarify if they have your best interests at heart:

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