Your child is a doctor, lawyer, founder, or other successful professional. Leaving their inheritance outright often feels like the respectful choice, but their success brings risks that direct ownership does not protect against. Here’s when an inheritance trust for adult children can protect what you built without treating a capable adult like a child. Read more...

You bought life insurance because you wanted the people you love to be protected. But the policy you chose years ago may no longer match the family, finances, or estate plan you have today. Here’s what a life insurance beneficiary review can reveal before your family needs the money. Read more...

You built your IRA to give your family security and opportunity. But if it passes to a trust, SECURE Act rules can force withdrawals faster while retained income reaches the 37% federal bracket at just $16,000 in 2026. Here's what to review before one form changes what your wealth can do.

You did it. 

Maybe Make-A-Will Month finally moved it to the top of your list. Maybe you've been meaning to get this done for years and this was the month it finally happened. Either way, you sat down, signed the documents, and walked out with something most families never get around to.

That matters. I mean it.

But here's what I tell every client who comes to me after making a will somewhere else: most families think the job is done. They sign the documents, file them away, and assume they're covered. Then something happens, and they find out how much the will didn't do.

If you made a will, this is your checklist for what comes next.

The Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner left $1.2M in unfulfilled premarital promises. Here’s what a Personal Family Lawyer® firm would have done differently.

A will is an important first step, but it may not protect your family from probate, incapacity, or gaps in guardianship. Learn what a complete plan requires.

You've heard the phrase: "Friends don't let friends drive drunk." The same logic applies to estate planning. According to Caring.com, only 24 percent of Americans have a will. For some of the people you love most, you may be the only person in their life who will ever bring this up. Here's how to do it without making it weird, and what to tell them about what real planning looks like.

August is National Make a Will Month, which means this is exactly the right time.

The federal government is depositing $1,000 into savings accounts for every baby born between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2028. The account is called a Trump Account, contributions opened July 4, 2026, and most families have not yet taken the step to claim it. Here is what it is, how to open one, and what it means for your family's plan.

You've brought it up before. Maybe it came up after watching a friend go through something hard, a probate process that dragged on for years, or a family left scrambling without the right documents in place. Maybe a health scare prompted the conversation, or a birthday that snuck up faster than expected. Whatever brought it to mind, you've tried to talk to your spouse about getting a plan in place.

And it went nowhere.

Not because they were openly against it. Maybe they changed the subject. Maybe they agreed and then nothing happened. Maybe they said, "We don't need to worry about that yet," and somehow that became the final word on the matter. Whatever the reason, nothing is in place, and you feel stuck.

Most families believe they will inherit their loved one’s debt. Most debt collectors count on that fear. Your debt does not automatically transfer to your heirs, but it shapes how much they receive and what the estate must pay before they get anything. Here is exactly what happens and what your family needs to know before the collectors call. Read more…