A Minneapolis Estate Planning Lawyer Discusses Why You Need a Will Believe it or not, my busiest time of year is around the holidays and New Year’s. I can only guess that it has to do with family getting together and realizing that they may need to take care of business matters for family members….

A Minneapolis Estate Planning Attorney Explains Why Extra Communication with Your Loved Ones Is Helpful  During the estate planning process, your attorney will draft a number of legal documents such as a will, trust and power of attorney which will help you accomplish your goals. While these legal documents are required for effective planning, they…

A Minnesota Estate Planning and Probate Attorney Lists 20 Red Flags That Signal When Your Will or Living Trust is Out of Date I offer clients the opportunity to sit down with me and review their estate plans at least once each year.  However, this doesn’t mean you should wait until your next review if…

Minneapolis Estate Planning and Probate Lawyer Explains Why Your Estate Plan Needs Maintenance When you buy a new car, everything works perfectly.  (At least, you hope it does.)  But then in 3,000 miles, it’s time for an oil change.  Also, you must keep your eye on the level of coolant in the radiator, your transmission…

A Minnesota Probate Attorney Explains the Difference Between Informal and Formal Probate As stated in my prior posts, there are many different paths to choose when an estate needs to go through probate in Minnesota.  One key decision is whether to take the formal or informal path. The terms informal and formal refer to the type of procedure…

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…