As I have received an increasing number of calls to assist family members and heirs in working through a loved ones estate, I decided to draft a series of blog posts directed at assisting you with handling things for someone who has died. Step 1: Locate a will This step in the journey begins with…

Minneapolis Estate Planning Attorney Explains the Need for Proper Storage of Your Estate Planning Documents Think Treasure Hunts are Fun and Games? Think Again You’ve had an attorney draft your estate planning documents, including your living trust and will. Probate avoidance and tax saving strategies have been implemented. Your documents are signed, notarized and witnessed…

Minnesota Lawyer Lists the Critical Documents Every Same-Sex Couple Must Have. Under current Minnesota (and Federal) law, gay couples do not have any rights to such basic things as: 1) inheriting from each other; 2) making medical decisions for each other; 3) handling financial matters for each other; 4) naming a guardian for a minor…

A Twin Cities Estate Planning Attorney Explains How to Store Your Estate Planning Documents In the unsettled time after a loved one’s death, imagine the added stress on the family if the loved one died without a will or any instructions on distributing his or her assets.  Now, imagine the even greater stress to grieving…

Planning for Children: Name a Guardian Now A Twin Cities estate planning attorney discusses the benefits of using a delegation of parental authority for your minor child You may know from prior posts that if you have minor children, you must name a guardian to care for them in the event that you (and any…

The personal representative is the person designated in a Will as the individual who is responsible for performing a number of tasks necessary to wind down the decedent’s affairs. [While a will merely nominates someone to act as personal representative subject to approval by the court, this post uses the term “personal representative” to refer…

As stated in my prior posts, there are many different paths to choose when an estate needs to go through probate in Minnesota.  Perhaps the most key decision is whether to take the formal or informal path. The terms informal and formal refer to the type of procedure used to appoint a personal representative to…

As discussed in my prior post, the personal representative starts a probate proceeding by filing an application or petition with the probate court.  But, prior to commencing probate, the personal representative must make a decision on what type of probate process to pursue.  Minnesota provides several different types of probate proceedings to address the variety…

When last I blogged, I spoke about “wills.”  In this next part of this series on probate, I will explain how to initiate the probate process. Step 1: Locate a will This step in the journey begins with locating a will as the will contains the decedent’s instructions on the persons to be involved in the probate…

This post concludes the series on choosing a guardian for your child by discussing when you should discuss your decisions with those closest to you.  Presumably, you are very familiar with the person you’ve identified to be your child’s guardian.  That makes you uniquely qualified to pick the proper time and format for talking to them about your decision….