Estate Planning

Have you recently received the news that you have cancer? Are you concerned about the impact on you and your loved ones? Do you have an Alabama estate plan? Estate planning is critical for everyone, especially at this time of a cancer diagnosis. From being able to make the early choice of who will be able to care for you in a crisis to who should have legal authority to make decisions when you are incapacitated to, ultimately, deciding who should inherit from you at a time when you are no longer here, are each important conversations that take place when you work with your Alabama estate planning attorney. Were you aware that

Were you aware that an Alabama estate plan is a critical tool for everyone to have? Your Alabama estate plan will allow you to think about what you want for yourself, your loved ones, your business, and your legacy. It is about more than what happens at the end of your life, although that is an important part of the process. Your Alabama estate plan will motivate you to answer tough questions including, but not limited to, what should happen if you no longer have the capacity you need to make your own decisions or who should pay your bills if you cannot?

Knowing you need an estate plan is the first step forward to planning for your future. The next logical question to ask may be:  Is there a right time to plan your Alabama estate plan? As Alabama estate planning attorneys, this is a question we are frequently asked and want to share five events in your life, no matter your age, when you should create an Alabama estate plan.  

1.
Read more . . .

Are you looking for ways to help the seniors in your family, neighborhood and community? Did you know that May is National Older Americans Month?  In fact, this celebration of our Older Americans is to encourage communities, families and loved ones to get involved in learning about the issues that our Older Americans face as they age. Do you have senior loved ones in your family? Do you have neighbors who are seniors? This month think about how you could help the Older Americans in your life by using the ideas below.

1.

Have you recently heard that you will be receiving an inheritance? Receiving an inheritance is quite momentous. Whether you were expecting it, or not, inheriting money should be taken seriously by you. No matter what the amount is, you should make sure that you are taking the steps you need to protect your new asset and have the guidance you need.
Read more . . .

Do you care for a loved one with autism? Are you working carefully to plan for your loved one’s future? You know that although the specific needs of an autistic individual can vary greatly depending on the severity of their autism, many people with autism need assistance throughout their entire lives. 

So, how do you begin to create your Alabama estate plan with your loved one with autism in mind? Most important is to begin planning early. Whether you care for your loved one with autism in your capacity as a parent, grandparent, or sibling, part of your role is to make sure there is a solid legal, financial and medical foundation in place.

Do you have a loved one in your family diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis or another disability? Are you the caregiver for your loved one? As Alabama attorneys, we know how challenging it can be to ensure that your disabled loved one is protected on a daily basis. When you think about the lifetime caregiving needs of your loved one, are you concerned about a future when you may no longer be able to care for your loved one?

What can you do to help the loved one you care for? As  Alabama estate planning attorneys we understand the laws surrounding how you may protect yourself and your disabled loved one now and in the future. There are estate planning tools to ensure that your loved one with a disabling condition will be as supported as he or she can be.

Unfortunately, one of the most challenging aspects of witnessing a loved one struggle with a disabling condition may be the sadness and confusion he or she experiences, often exhibited in different ways. Some ways may be through angry outbursts and belligerence or through silence and innocence.

This Valentine’s Day, do you want to say “I love you” to your children in a totally different way? How about the gift of an Alabama estate plan and by creating a loving legacy for them?

We know there are many ways that you can show your love to your children during this month of February. However, we would like to share some ways that you can protect your family by planning and creating a loving legacy that will provide for them in the future.

1. Have you thought about the impact any long-term care you may need could have on your legacy?  Because the cost of long-term care for older Americans is rising, it is important to be prepared by creating a plan to afford the long-term care that you may need in the future. This is critical so that your family is not left struggling to pay those costs.
Read more . . .

Are you considering remarrying? Are you thinking that February is the perfect month to plan a wedding, including the venue, the menu and all the combined family, yours and your future spouse’s? As you and your future spouse think about what needs to be done, what about your Alabama estate plan? Whether you currently have one or not, you should have one before you remarry. Here is why.

In a first marriage the goals of most spouses match and estate planning is not a problem. Each spouse wants to take care of the surviving spouse for as long as he or she lives, and then divide what is left equally among their children. Or, if your children are still minors, you set up a trust for the children until they are adults.
Read more . . .

As you begin the new year, are you thinking about the resolutions you set for 2023? Did you include being sure you and your family are prepared for whatever the future holds by creating an Alabama estate plan? We want you to know that we believe that one of the most important New Year’s resolutions you can make this year is to create your Alabama estate plan.  With your Alabama estate plan in place you can protect yourself and your loved ones both during your life and at the time of your death. During your lifetime, by working with your qualified Alabama estate planning attorney, you can create a plan that ensures your choices for your health care and finances are honored by your chosen decision maker.

As the year 2022 comes to an end, have you given any thought to long-term care planning? Have most of your family and friends either passed away or moved? Is your health good or have you had any health scares this year? Have these health scares during the past year caused you to think about where you want to live as you age or what might happen if you had a health crisis or even how to protect your legacy?  We understand that as you age, you want the best for yourself, so learning about long-term care planning before you need it is a great idea. 

As you think about your future, if you became incapacitated due to an accident, surgery or disease what would happen? Who would make your healthcare decisions, pay your bills, or keep an eye on your house? What would happen if you needed extra care to remain in your home or you needed a nursing home? Now is the time to plan, before a crisis occurs, and while you can make decisions for yourself.  By working with an experienced Alabama elder law attorney you can have the peace of mind to ensure your lifetime of savings is protected from your long-term care needs. 

When you locate, make an appointment and meet with an Alabama elder law attorney, how do you even begin the conversation? What should you talk about? Where should you start?  In our firm we understand you questions because most of our clients have these same questions and we know that long-term planning can be complicated. We would like to share an end of the year long-term care planning checklist that you may use as you think about long-term care planning before the end of the year.

Did you know that according to research many people put off making an estate plan each year? What about you, do you have an estate plan? If you do not, you are not alone. 

There are multiple and varied reasons why people put off creating their Alabama estate plan. Some put it off because they think they do not have enough assets and others think they are too young to even consider it. There are people who do not want to think about dying and avoid creating an estate plan. People who are not married and have no immediate family, may not feel a need to create an estate plan at all.