silhouette photo of a mother carrying her baby at beach during golden hour
Beneficiary Designation, Divorce, Estate Planning, Family Law, Intestacy, Legal News, Life Insurance, Minor Estate Planning, Oklahoma, Oklahoma News, Sex-Same Planning, Trusts, Wills

Estate Planning After a Divorce

Going through a divorce is an incredibly challenging and emotionally draining experience. Following the upheaval of separating assets and rebuilding your life, it's important to remember to update your estate plan. Estate planning after a divorce is crucial to safeguarding your assets. Following divorce it's important that you revisit your most recent last will and… Continue reading Estate Planning After a Divorce

crop businessman giving contract to woman to sign
Advance Directives, Estate Planning, Legal News, Oklahoma, probate, Trusts, Uncategorized, Wills

Why Should I Get A Trust?

Choosing to establish a Trust for your family is an important decision that requires a bit of planning and time. You have to understand why it is important to open a trust to protect you and your family's future, you have to decide if you have sufficient assets that warrants opening a trust, and you… Continue reading Why Should I Get A Trust?

white paper folders with black tie
Beneficiary Designation, Estate Planning, Legal News, Oklahoma, Our Attorney, probate, Trusts, Uncategorized, Wills

When Estate Planning Revisions Are Necessary

The hardest step of estate planning is the initial preparation of your Will or your Trust. But, it is sometimes necessary that you may need to revise your estate planning documents. We all know life happens, beneficiaries or trustees pass away, someone unexpected comes into your life, or maybe you start to feel a little… Continue reading When Estate Planning Revisions Are Necessary

girls-children-kids-friends-50581.jpeg
Beneficiary Designation, Estate Planning, Family Law, Legal News, Minor Estate Planning, Oklahoma, Oklahoma News, Trusts, Uncategorized

Minors as Beneficiaries: A Good Idea or More Than You Bargained For?

Issues can pop up when you leave minors as beneficiaries. Read it about them here!

photo of happy family
Uncategorized

Minor Children: Will v. Trust

One of the many complications one needs to think about when planning for the distribution of their estate is minor children. It is vital that parents make plans for their children should should they die prematurely. Typically however, a minor, any one under 18, is not legally able to inherit your estate and manage his… Continue reading Minor Children: Will v. Trust

white paper folders with black tie
Uncategorized

Decanting: How to “Open Up” an Irrevocable Trust

You've got an irrevocable trust, but our world and your life have changed dramatically. Maybe your family doesn't look the same as when you first created the irrevocable trust. Maybe the law has changed and it makes the administration of trust financially unreasonable or the distribution would now be considered financially wasteful. Maybe you simply… Continue reading Decanting: How to “Open Up” an Irrevocable Trust

Advance Directives, Estate Planning, HIPAA Authorizations, Legal News, living wills, National News, Oklahoma, Oklahoma News, Uncategorized

What are these new change to Oklahoma’s power of attorney laws?

Passed by the legislature in the spring, House Bill 2548 established Oklahoma's new Uniform Power of Attorney act and went into effect on November 1st under Title 58. This act, which provides for more uniform power of attorney documents from state-to-state, mostly focuses on  the financial power of attorney. Unfortunately though, through some drafting oversight, the… Continue reading What are these new change to Oklahoma’s power of attorney laws?

photo of people having conversation
Uncategorized

I Already Had a Will Drafted, Do I need to do Anything Else?

The answer to this question is probably yes, but depends on your personal goals. A valid will tells the probate court how you want your assets distributed after you pass, but even with a will, an estate needs to go through the probate process and have the court approve the will before assets are distributed. This typically takes at least… Continue reading I Already Had a Will Drafted, Do I need to do Anything Else?

Divorce, Estate Planning, Holographic Wills, Intestacy, Legal News, Oklahoma, probate, Trusts, Uncategorized, Wills

“I Know What Will Happen to my Finances, but What Will Happen to my ‘Stuff?’”

A common question in estate planning is: “How do I dispose of my ‘stuff?’” While bank accounts can have beneficiaries listed, and items like homes and vehicles can be titled over to a trust, passing on the jewelry, furniture, and antiques around our homes may be less obvious, but does not necessarily need to be… Continue reading “I Know What Will Happen to my Finances, but What Will Happen to my ‘Stuff?’”

Uncategorized

Always have an attorney make your estate plan

Like we have discussed before on a previous post, every adult needs a Last Will & Testament or a Revocable Trust in place. However, more than half of all Americans have no planning in place! For simple estates, or at least the bare minimum for everyone, a Last Will & Testament is a good start. A Will… Continue reading Always have an attorney make your estate plan