Your End-of-Life Wishes: What is a Letter of Last Instruction?
There are many documents that can help with the estate planning process, both official and unofficial. Even if you have many of the documents needed to legally convey...
What To Do When Someone Dies At Home
Dealing with the death of a loved one is always tough, but it comes with far more challenges if they died in their home rather than at a...
Covering Funeral Costs: Can SS Lump Sum Benefit Do The Job?
With funeral expenses in the United States ranging anywhere between $6,600 and $15,000, there is an obvious incentive for people to look for ways...
Who gets the $250 Social Security Benefit When Someone Dies?
As mentioned in an earlier blog post, the Social Security Administration allows those who receive regular monthly benefits to sign-up for a “Lump-Sum Death Benefit.” When they die,...
What To Do When Someone Dies: A Step-by-Step Guide
Even when we know it’s coming, the death of a loved one is never easy to deal with. Yet it is especially taxing if you’re the one in...
Intestate Succession: Who Is Next of Kin When There’s No Will?
One of the obvious challenges of managing the estate of someone who didn’t leave behind a will is figuring out who is eligible to receive their assets and...
You Can’t Take It With You: What Debts Are Forgiven at Death?
One of the unfortunate facts of life is that many of us have far too many debts to fully pay off in our lifetime, with nearly 75% of...
To Whom It May Concern: Who Should Be Informed When Someone Dies?
As we’ve previously covered, there are many things that need to be done when a loved one dies. One of the most important is contacting and notifying people...
Even Without a Will, There’s a Way: What Happens To Your Money When You Die?
Just like the old saying goes, “you can’t take it with you.” But this begs an important question: what happens to your money after you’re gone? After all,...
5 Things To Avoid When Someone Dies: How to Sidestep Common Mistakes
As we mentioned in an earlier blog post, dealing with the loss of a loved one is always a challenge, but it can be especially tough when you’re...
Know the Role: What Does a Probate Attorney Do?
Previously, we wrote about probate and the importance of having a probate attorney. A good probate lawyer can be a big help with the sometimes overwhelming and confounding...
Do I Need Probate?
One of the common questions I get is “Do I need Probate when someone dies?” There is also the question “What is Probate?”
When...