The Voeller Law Firm Legal Blog

Any estate planning attorney will answer that question with an emphatic yes. Pose the same question to someone involved in decision-making for an incapacitated family member. They’ll give you the same answer. Life is full of unpleasant surprises. One day you are hale and hearty, the next incapacitated, incapable of making decisions that affect your health and finances. You need…

Estate settlements do not always need an attorney. The tricky part comes in when an estate requires a probate hearing. In those cases, an experienced lawyer with knowledge of state probate laws can help eliminate friction and reduce the stress of more complex procedures. If you’re the executor of an estate and are encountering difficulties, or if you’re not sure…

The term trust has a positive ring. When it comes to your assets, this is more than an impression. Asset protection trusts go a long way toward shielding a beneficiary’s assets from creditors. Set up correctly, trusts mitigate the impact of taxation, protect assets in divorce and bankruptcy actions and from lawsuits filed by creditors. Establishing an asset protection trust…

When people think of passing on assets after their death the first thing that comes to mind is a will. “I must have a will. If I don’t, my heirs could be denied their inheritance.” In the extreme, the Government could end up with all the money and assets. While these concerns are valid, there are ways to protect assets…

When it comes to estate planning most people think of a will – an iron-clad document listing all assets and how they will be distributed after your death. That is partially true. A validly drawn and signed will is one of the main tools in estate planning to ensure that your wishes are carried out. However, estate planning has many…

If you have assets that you have worked hard to earn, you don’t want to see them disappear due to lack of planning. In today’s complex world, courts are overflowing with litigation as people sue individuals and businesses for a huge variety of reasons. Claims made by various individuals can threaten your personal or business assets and, no matter what…

Military veterans serve our country and help to protect our freedom, often risking their lives in the performance of their duties. Because of this, the Department of Veterans Affairs has established a special Pension Program that provides Aid and Attendance benefits to many veterans to help pay for long-term care expenses. These benefits are tax-free and can range from about…

When most people think of a power of attorney form, they think of a person approaching old age who simply wishes to give another person the power to make important financial decisions for them in the event that they should become unable to do so themselves. While this is true, a power of attorney form can also be used in…

Creating various types of trusts are often a good way of protecting the financial assets of an estate. Doing this can prevent excessive loss of funds through taxation or the probate process itself and can ensure that the beneficiaries of an estate can claim the maximum amount of assets after the owner of the estate is gone. However, it’s important…

No one lives forever, so when the time comes to make a plan to protect your financial assets and distribute them to your beneficiaries, it’s important to understand the different types of lawyers who work with these issues and what they do. While probate and estate are related matters, there are important differences between the two. Learning to protect financial…