There is currently a legal battle in the federal courts regarding a Federal law mandating that marriage is between a man and a woman. EdiTh Windsor challenged the federal law in DOMA (Defense Of Marriage Act) as unconstitutional on equal protection grounds. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York recently held… Continue reading Edith Windsor’s Fight for Same-Sex Marriage Recognition
Most people know that Revocable Living Trusts are a great way to avoid probate. And if you don't, please read a previous blog about probate and how a trust can help here. On today's blog post, Skillern Law Firm is going to discuss other ways to avoid probate if you already have a trust, or… Continue reading Simple Ways to Avoid Probate
When Skillern Law Firm P.L.L.C. discusses the benefits of a will or a trust, inevitably probate comes up. We advise clients to avoid probate, since it is costly and a complicated process that can easily be avoided by a trust. Still, many clients ask us: "What is probate”? Our answer is: it depends. Basically, probate… Continue reading What is Probate and Why Should I Avoid It?
It is important to periodically review your will and estate plan. Life changes often require that you reassess your estate plan. Children Most parents are concerned about how their children will be cared for in the event that one or both parents suffer an accident or are incapacitated. It is important to name a guardian for… Continue reading Your life is not static, so why is your estate plan?
It is a new year, and everyone is listing things that they want to accomplish in 2012. You might be interested in a new healthy eating regimen, or workout schedule, but why not add updating your estate planning to that list? Twenty-twelve is the year of the estate plan! If you haven't established a way to… Continue reading Resolutions
There is a popular trend among the states right now in estate planning law to allow people to make preparations for their pets in their will or trusts. Oklahoma has recently joined the trend. Oklahoma now allows pet trusts since a relatively recent House Bill1641 that was signed into law and became effective August 27,… Continue reading Estate Planning for Pets! Oklahoma Pet Trusts.
There is more than one way to give your estate to your family. A will or a trust are both options for passing your estate to your friends or family after death. You can, however, give your estate during life without tax consequences. There is an annual tax exclusion that encompasses $13,000 per recipient. This… Continue reading Annual Giving – Tis the Season
Today on Tulsa Estate Planning Blog, we will discuss what a living will is, and what medical scenarios it will cover. Let's get started. A living will is a legal document which allows a person to make known his/her wishes regarding life-prolonging medical treatments. Living wills are also referred to as advance directives, health care… Continue reading Living Wills- The Questions to Think About
Skillern Law is excited to be adding Medicaid/Nursing Home Estate Planning to our practice areas. It's a new type of estate planning in the law, and it's becoming more and more important as the baby boomers are growing older. A lot of people do not know what it is or what it entails exactly. Let's… Continue reading Medicaid Planning – Planning for Your Future Health Costs
Oklahoma has some unusual laws when it comes to step-children and half-blood relatives, especially in the intestate inheritance laws. Just as a reminder, intestate merely means that the person who passed away died without a will, and so the state's inheritance laws are in effect. Oklahoma's statute, Okla. Stat. tit. 84, § 213 (1994), is… Continue reading Stepchildren, adopted children, and half-blood relatives: No Child Left Behind.
