Earlier this week, we shared the first part of this series on the DANGERS of do-it-yourself estate planning. Here, we’ll look at how ONLINE legal DOCUMENTS can even put your MINOR CHILDREN at RISK.

Do a Google search for “ONLINE estate PLANNING documents,” and you’ll find dozens of different WEBSITES. From Legal Zoom® and Willing.com to Rocket Lawyer® and Willandtrust.com, these do-it-yourself (DIY) planning services might SEEM like an enticing BARGAIN.

LIFETIME ASSET PROTECTION TRUSTS are primarily designed to PROTECT your LOVED ONES and their INHERITANCE from much more common THREATS, such as divorce, serious debt, devastating illness, and unfortunate ACCIDENTS. At the same time, LAPTs can provide your heirs with a unique educational opportunity in which they gain valuable experience managing and growing their inheritance, while enjoying airtight asset protection.

A last will and testament can ensure your wishes are respected when you die. But, if your will isn’t legally valid, those wishes might not actually be carried out and instead the laws of “intestate succession” would apply meaning that the state decides who gets your stuff, and it’s very likely not to be who you would choose.

As you already know, on January 26, 2020, basketball legend Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash on a wooded hillside 30 miles north of Los Angeles. Also killed in the tragic accident was his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other passengers, who were friends and colleagues of Kobe and his family. The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.

In the first part of this series, we discussed the potential ramifications the SECURE ACT has for your estate and retirement planning. Here, we’ll look more deeply into additional strategies you may want to consider in light of the new legislation. http://kruglerlaw.com/single-post/2020/01/21/The-SECURE-ActE28099s-Impact-On-Estate-and-Retirement-Planning-Part-1

On January 1, 2020, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) went into effect, and it represents the most significant retirement-planning legislation in decades.

In the first part of this series, we discussed a unique planning tool known as a Lifetime Asset Protection Trust. Here we explain the benefits of these trusts in further detail.

As a parent, you’re likely hoping to leave your children an inheritance. In fact, doing so may be one of the motivating factors driving your life’s work. But without taking the proper precautions, the wealth you pass on is at serious risk of being accidentally lost or squandered. In some instances, an inheritance can even wind up doing your kids more harm than good.

Thanksgiving is upon us and, here at Krugler Law, we have so many things to be thankful for…starting with our clients!

In the first part of this series, we discussed how some professional adult guardians had used their powers to abuse the seniors placed under their care. Here, we’ll discuss how seniors can use estate planning to avoid the potential abuse and other negative consequences of court-ordered guardianship.

Elder abuse can take a wide variety of forms, but we think the worst of the worst is caused by unscrupulous adult guardians appointed by a court to care for seniors who are no longer able to care for themselves. And though you may not want to believe such a thing could happen, you need to know that without the right planning in place, even the seniors in your own family could be at risk.