Sometimes, love means stepping in to protect those who can’t protect themselves. That’s where legal guardianship comes in. Guardianship is a legal process that allows you to take care of someone who cannot make decisions on their own. This could apply to: Taking on guardianship is a major commitment, butContinue Reading
Losing a loved one is hard enough without the added stress of handling their estate. Many people aren’t sure what to do next, and that’s where we come in. Estate administration is the process of settling a loved one’s financial and legal affairs. This can include: Without guidance, estate administrationContinue Reading
Articles & Resources Legal Resources Surplus Funds More about Surplus Funds More on Surplus Funds Claims… *This is a supplemental post to our main article on Surplus Funds. While anyone would Read More Ruth Allen, Attorney Legal Resources | Surplus Funds About Us Awards & Honors News and Updates WRALContinue Reading
Will Your Business Survive Without YOU? If you’re a business owner, you’ve poured your heart and soul into building your company. But what happens if you step away, retire, or something unexpected happens? Without a solid plan, your business—and everything you’ve worked for—could be at risk. Business planning is aboutContinue Reading
How Your Divorce Affects Estate Plans After all the turmoil of a divorce, the last thing you probably want to hear, is a recommendation to schedule yet more meetings with an attorney. But because you have just gone through a major life change, it is essential that you meet withContinue Reading
Planning for the unexpected is exactly what estate planning is about… read more…Continue Reading
On Wednesdays, we update our estate plans: A mean girls guide to estate planning!Continue Reading
Do I have to have an attorney create my will or can I hand write my own will? Find out the answers to these very common estate planning questions!Continue Reading
(JUST) 4 Reasons You Should Tackle Your Estate Planning… TODAY! There are many reasons to tackle your estate planning, and these are just 4 of them. NAMING A LEGAL GUARDIAN TO CARE FOR YOUR CHILDREN Having an estate plan can do so much to protect your estate and loved ones.Continue Reading
Has an Investor or “Finder” Contacted you to Help You Claim Your Surplus Funds? READ THIS FIRST! NOTE: if you missed our previous posts on claiming Surplus Funds, please read this and this first! Don’t sign anything until you contact us! If property you used to own has been foreclosedContinue Reading
SCAM WARNING! The North Carolina Secretary of State has issued a Scam Warning! There have been a recent flurry of misleading emails going around from a company called North Carolina Certified Document Services that states your business Annual Report is due and claims you are receiving this correspondence because youContinue Reading
While losing a loved one is never easy, carrying out their last wishes and settling their affairs doesn’t have to be quite as hard – and we’re here to help. Continue Reading
What is Asset Alignment? Assets must be aligned with your Trust or Will to keep them out of Probate court and accomplish the many things they are designed to do. This legal strategy is called “Asset Alignment” (also known as the “funding” of a trust). Asset alignment ensures that allContinue Reading
Download Your Estate Plan Review Checklist or – review your plan online using our ONLINE ESTATE PLAN REVIEW TOOL Updating your ESTATE PLAN regularly is vitally important – especially when you know your wishes or circumstances have changed. Use one of our Estate Plan Review Tools to determine if youContinue Reading
NEW! Try Our Online Estate Plan Self-Audit Review Tool Use our ONLINE Estate Plan Self-Audit Review Tool to check up on your Estate Plan & determine if it might be time to talk to your attorney about an update! What Life Circumstances Affect Your Estate Plan’s Status? There are someContinue Reading
Estate Planning is not a ‘once-and-done’ kind of thing. You’re never really done with an estate plan because when life changes, so might your plan. Continue Reading
Congratulations – you’ve turned 18! You’re finally an ADULT! You made it. BIG PLANS? -Going off to college? -Moving out of your parents’ house? -Making your own rules and living your best life… SCORE! Now you can now make all your own decisions …open a credit card … move outContinue Reading
Estate Planning Misconception #3: “A Will Avoids Probate” Many people believe that, once they have created a Last Will, whether drafted by an experienced attorney, or by using a do-it-yourself solution or an online platform (which, by the way, we don’t recommend), they have avoided probate… unfortunately, they are wrong. Continue Reading
Estate Planning Misconception # 2: I Don’t Need to Plan Because My Spouse Will Get Everything For many married couples, jointly owning property and bank accounts is common. If a couple owns accounts or property jointly or as “tenants by the entirety,” if one spouse dies, the surviving spouse automaticallyContinue Reading
Many people believe that they don’t need an estate plan because they aren’t “wealthy,” however, that couldn’t be further from the truth! If you’re over 18, you need an estate plan! An estate plan isn’t just a Will – an estate plan includes the very important Power of Attorney and Healthcare Directives, of which, at minimum, every person over age 18 needs!Continue Reading
Common Assets in Estate Planning Discover what assets are involved in estate planning The types of accounts and property you own play a large part in the estate planning process. Figuring out what property and assets should be included in your estate planning can be a daunting thought. Use thisContinue Reading
How to Help Your Loved Ones (and Assets) Avoid Probate Today, many people are using a revocable living trust instead of a will or joint ownership as the foundation of their estate plan. When properly prepared, a living trust avoids the public, costly and time-consuming court processes of conservatorship orContinue Reading
3 Simple Ways to Avoid Probate Costs THE BAD NEWS When your estate (ie. all of your money and property) has to go through probate (the court-supervised process of validating your Will and/or distributing your money and property), it can be subject to a variety of costs stemming from attorneys,Continue Reading
More on Surplus Funds Claims… *This is a supplemental post to our main article on Surplus Funds. While anyone would be excited to learn that there is a pot of money awaiting them to claim it, there are some things you should know about the process. 1. It takes time…Continue Reading
Trust Funding: Setting Your Trustee Up for Success What is Trust Funding? Trust funding is the process of transferring the ownership of accounts and property to the trust during your lifetime, or designating the trust as a beneficiary of an account or piece of property so that the trust willContinue Reading
Help! This Probate is Taking Forever!!! After a loved one dies, their money and property must be distributed to the right people, either according to their will or the state’s default distribution scheme (found in its “intestacy” statute). While most people want the settlement process to be done ASAP, probate canContinue Reading
Your Nosy Neighbor Can Find Out About Your Probate Estate (and read your Last Will) …REALLY. Because wills are filed at the courthouse, probated estates become a matter of public record. That means your nosy neighbor Nellie can simply go down to the courthouse or hop online and find out aboutContinue Reading
Meet the Team Featured Team: Attorney Ruth M. Allen https://youtu.be/b5Rz6H8tUCM Want to learn more about Ruth? Check out Ruth’s Bio Have a question?Continue Reading
As the coronavirus continues to disrupt daily life and leave Americans uncertain of the future, you don’t have to feel helpless during this pandemic. In fact, now is a great time to be proactive and plan ahead should you or a loved one fall ill. One of the most important and relatively easy things you can do (and should do) is to select a medical agent and set up your healthcare power of attorney. Continue Reading
Is online, do-it-yourself estate planning worth the perceived upfront savings?Continue Reading
What do trustees and executors do?Continue Reading