Benefits of Advanced Estate Planning

Benefits of Advanced Estate Planning Minimize taxes and protect your assets BY JULIE GARBER Updated November 20, 2019 Advanced estate planning—something more than a simple will or basic living trust—can be critical for people with valuable, taxable estates. It…

Is Your Financial Information in Order?

Is Your Financial Information in Order? Preparing and organizing your financial information for when you are no longer capable will bring peace of mind to you today and relieve your loved ones' burden in the future. It will ensure proper…

Should I Sell My Life Insurance Policy?

March 26, 2021
Bill O’Leary, Esq.
Asset Protection, Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Life Insurance, Long-Term Care Planning

When a life insurance policy is no longer wanted or needed, many policy owners either abandon their policy by not paying the required premium or surrender it back to the carrier. In either situation, the insurance carrier wins, and the policy owner is stuck holding the empty bag.

How Do You Plan for the Death of a Spouse?

March 24, 2021
Bill O’Leary, Esq.
Asset Protection, Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Life Insurance, Long-Term Care Planning, Power of Attorney, Probate and Estate/Trust Administration

Beneficiary designations, tying up loose ends, reporting last wishes—here’s what you can do now.

Can You Increase Your Social Security Benefits?

March 18, 2021
Bill O’Leary, Esq.
Asset Protection, Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Long-Term Care Planning

All you have to do is type ‘maximize Social Security’ into Google or any other search engine and you will get hundreds, if not thousands, of hits.

Can You Be Forced to Inherit a Timeshare?

Many timeshare contracts include a perpetuity clause, which means the contract and all its fees and obligations are yours for life. It may not end there.

When Does a Power of Attorney Fail to Do Its Job?

March 8, 2021
Bill O’Leary, Esq.
Asset Protection, Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Power of Attorney

Every estate plan should have a power of attorney, in which you give one or more people authority to act as agents on your behalf when you aren’t able to.

Estate Battle with Millions at Stake in New Orleans

The widow of car-dealership magnate Ray Brandt filed court papers to evict her family from their Old Metairie compound on Tuesday, the latest escalation of a bitter family battle over control of the massive estate that Brandt left behind when he died in late 2019.

Did the Pandemic Put a Premium on Estate Planning?

February 27, 2021
Bill O’Leary, Esq.
Asset Protection, Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Life Insurance, Long-Term Care Planning, Power of Attorney, Probate and Estate/Trust Administration

More Americans turned their attention to life insurance, wills and trusts last year, as the coronavirus pandemic made the reality of death unavoidable.

Do We Need Estate Planning?

February 19, 2021
Bill O’Leary, Esq.
Asset Protection, Business Planning, Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Guardianship, Life Insurance, Long-Term Care Planning, Power of Attorney, Probate and Estate/Trust Administration

Everyone, regardless of financial status or age, can benefit from having an estate plan—assuming you have assets to leave and people to leave them to.