Living wills describe your preferences for health care if you cannot communicate your desires. In most cases, a living will states what types of medical treatment you would like to receive. The living will contains your directions regarding life-prolonging procedures...
Estate Planning
6 mistakes to avoid if you are named as an executor
Here's a hypothetical situation: your elderly aunt died and left a will in which she named you as her personal representative. You remember agreeing to take on that task, but you are not sure what the work involves. Here are six mistakes to avoid in your role as...
How complex are special needs trusts?
Many Indiana parents with special needs children worry about the future of their loved ones. One way parents address their concerns is to create a special needs trust that can provide for their children years into the future. But setting up a special needs trust is...
Navigating the Indiana probate process
When a person dies, Indiana state law may require his or her estate to go through probate. During this process, which often takes up to a year, the court supervises the surviving spouse or another authorized family member in distributing property from the estate and...
Planning your estate as a parent to young children
Although it can be very difficult to contemplate passing away while your children are still young, it is important to plan for the unlikely scenario. Doing so will give you peace of mind because you will have the knowledge that your children will be protected and...
Property people forget about in their will
There are so many different things to consider while writing a will that many people overlook some pretty important factors. If you haven't updated your will in the past three to five years, it's a good idea to make sure the following three things are accounted for....
Why changes in custody should be in writing
Sticking to a custody agreement can be challenging. Both parents want to spend as much time with their children as possible but work and extra curriculars can get in the way. As children grow up, they may also take on new responsibilities and interests that alter...
Including charities in your estate plan
When you are thinking about the legacy that you would like to leave at the end of your lifetime, it is likely that your immediate family and loved ones will be your first concern. However, in addition to the people that you love, you may also think about the causes...
What is the advantage of an age-based estate plan?
If you use a trust as part of your estate plan, one option you have is to give out the money from the trust only when your children reach a certain age. For instance, maybe your children just started college. They're in their late teens. You want to make an estate...
What to consider for charitable giving
One of the often-overlooked aspects of estate planning tends to be how the individual decides on charitable giving. Many older residents in Indiana are unaware that giving to a charitable organization can reduce taxes on their estate. You aren’t saving more money by...
