Tag Archives: estate planning
Online Estate Planning During COVID-19 Pandemic from Start to Finish
As you have probably heard by now, keeping physical distance between us is crucial to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Call or email McDonald Law Firm to find out how we can help you complete your online estate planning during COVID-19, without taking a single step outside the safe confines of your… Read More »
The Risks of DIY Wills
There has been an explosion in the numbers of Americans rushing to make their will online. Understandably, the coronavirus pandemic has created the scramble to set up wills and end-of-life-directives. However, online do it yourself wills, (or “DIY wills”) are often deemed invalid as they do not comply with all of the legal requirements… Read More »
The Benefits of Writing Your Own Obituary as Part of Your Estate Plan
An obituary can be much more than just a dry announcement of the time and location of your funeral or memorial service. It can be a way to share your life story, communicating information about significant events and people, as well as important values you would like to impart to others. You do not… Read More »
Ancillary Probate: When Is It Used, Where It Occurs, and How to Avoid It
Many people own property in more than one state—perhaps a vacation home in Florida, a rental property in a former home state, or even a car titled in another state. It is important to think about how that property will be handled as you create an estate plan. It may be necessary for there… Read More »
Ways to Hold Title to Property in Maryland and the District of Columbia
For many people, real property, including their home, is a big part of their overall net worth. How the home and other pieces of real property is titled deserves careful consideration. Real estate constitutes the land and any structure, including vegetation, crops, and other natural resources that sit on the land under the state’s… Read More »
What You Need to Know About Estate Planning for Blended Families
The structure of families has changed in the United States: According to statistics cited by the Pew Research Center, six out of ten women who remarry are in blended families, and in about half of those remarriages, stepchildren live with the remarried couple. If you or your grown children are part of a family… Read More »
Your Divorce Decree: The First Step in Estate Planning
You have recently divorced your spouse and the judge has signed the divorce decree. Now what? Although you may feel as though you have spent enough time and money on lawyers, there is one last attorney you need to talk to: an estate planning attorney. Failing to update your estate plan after divorce can… Read More »
Why a Living Will is Important
A living will is a legal document that lays out your preferences for life-sustaining medical treatment. It is often accompanied by a health-care proxy or power of attorney, which allows someone to make healthcare decisions for you when you are incapacitated, and the living will does not have specific instructions for the situation at… Read More »
What You Need to Know About the SECURE Act of 2020
In 2019, Congress passed a bipartisan appropriations bill. As part of this massive spending bill, there is a piece of legislation known as the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act). The SECURE Act represent the first significant change in retirement legislation since the Pension Protection Act in 2006. On December… Read More »
Impact of a Non-Citizen Spouse on Estate Planning
According to the Pew Research Center, in 2017, there were 44.4 million foreign-born people living in the United States, 55% of whom were non-citizens. As a result, there are many occasions when a non-citizen may be the beneficiary of the estate of a U.S. citizen, for example, if the non-citizen immigrant married a U.S…. Read More »
