Author Archives: Andre O. McDonald
A Will Does Much More Than Transfer Your Assets
Caring.com annual estate planning survey for 2019 found that 57% of U.S. adults do not have a Last Will & Testament (a “Will”). The survey found that participants were more likely or less likely to have a Will depending on issues such as age, race, and education. For example, when broken down generationally, 66% of people… Read More »
Help! I’ve Been Named as a Guardian. What Do I Do?
A guardian is an individual who cares for someone who needs special protection. Adults can nominate a guardian in his or her Will. Likewise, parents can also nominate a guardian in their Will, but a court must confirm and officially appoint the guardian. Sometimes the need for guardianship arises when the parents are still… Read More »
The Danger of Adding Your Kids to Your Bank Accounts
I want to leave my bank accounts to my children when I’m gone. Can’t I just make the children joint owners? That idea sounds better than it actually is. Yes, the bank accounts would avoid probate proceedings when you pass. But by adding kids to your bank accounts, you’d put yourself at risk at… Read More »
Does the Probate Attorney Represent the Personal Representative or the Estate Heirs?
Whether you are the Personal Representative or an heir of the probate estate, knowing the role of a probate attorney is one of the first steps you should take at the beginning of the probate process. One of the biggest sources of conflict in probating the estate is understanding who the probate attorney hired… Read More »
Legal Planning for Alzheimer’s Disease
There is currently no cure for the more than 5 million Americans who have Alzheimer’s disease. Projections by the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org) are that by 2050 more than 14 million Americans will suffer from this disease. What can you do if you are medically diagnosed with Alzheimer’s? Aside from following the advice of your… Read More »
Alzheimer’s Disease 2020 Facts and Statistics
There are over 400 types of dementia. While that number is staggering, the most common cause of dementia is due to Alzheimer’s disease, according to the 2020 Facts and Figures report published by the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org). Other better-known types of dementia include vascular, Lewy Body disease, frontotemporal dementia, and early-onset dementia. As of this… Read More »
Yes, Nosy Neighbor Nellie Can Find Out About Your Probate Case!
Most people think of probate (the process of collecting, managing, and distributing a deceased person’s money and property) as a private process. However, because wills are filed at the courthouse (in Maryland, Wills are filed with the Register of Wills and In the District of Columbia, Wills are filed with the Probate Division for… Read More »
No-Contest Clause: Does “No-Contest” Really Mean “No Contest”?
We live in a litigious society. Unfortunately, even family members sometimes file lawsuits because they are dissatisfied with what their parents or loved ones leave them in a will or trust. Some are so disgruntled that they decide to contest or challenge the validity of a will or trust, which can delay its administration… Read More »
Life Insurance: Do I Really Need It?
Recent events have made many of us think about our mortality and how to make sure our loved ones are taken care of especially if we die unexpectedly. Life insurance can be an affordable way to provide for our children, a spouse, a sibling, aging parents, and other loved ones. Life insurance can provide… Read More »
Seniors Are Changing Their Living Wills Due to COVID-19 Concerns
Kaiser Health News is reporting the coronavirus pandemic is prompting seniors to create or modify their living wills. Specifically, intubation is the topic that has many seniors crafting or rethinking their strategies amidst a wealth of disparate COVID-19 information that makes forming reliable conclusions for decision making, dubious at best. Why Seniors are Changing Their Living… Read More »
