When should I start planning for marriage?
Planning your life legally and strategically includes planning for marriage well ahead of time. This intro to a chapter in “The Divorce Firewall Strategy” book shows it’s never too early to plan. The book The Divorce Firewall Strategy was written to help people plan ahead for marriage and avoid potential problems in the event of divorce to […]
No Kids… Who Gets My Estate?
There’s nothing like death and money on the table to make people go a little crazy. No Kids A frequent question from clients is who should be their beneficiaries or contingent beneficiaries if there are no kids or grandkids? In this review of a Reddit thread on r/estateplanning, Jeff Marsocci reviews the advice and comments […]
What Probate Attorneys Don’t Want You to Know
Follow The Money I’m seeing more attorneys these days at least reference a revocable living trust when speaking with their clients if they are asked about estate planning options. However, it is still the norm if clients call up a law office and ask to get a Will done that attorneys will just go through […]
Asset Protection: Selling Inherited House Inside a Trust
There’s an awful lot of an advantage to having a lifetime of asset protection, but is it worth it? Should you keep the proceeds of an inherited house inside Mom’s trust? Does it provide asset protection from creditors, divorcing spouses, and disability/Medicaid spend downs? In this reaction and commentary on a Reddit question, Jeff reviews […]
Is Your Suitcase Packed?
Revocable Living Trust Is your suitcase packed? When it comes to estate planning with a revocable living trust, I often use the suitcase analogy. When it comes to avoiding probate, a revocable living trust is like a suitcase. It is designed to take your things from one place to another, and there are many different […]
How to Buy Out Siblings From a House
One of the most expensive estate assets for many families is their home, usually coming in second only to retirement accounts in terms of value. When the house ends up being far and away the most valuable asset in the estate, there are multiple children who are to be treated equally… BUT one of the […]
The Married ABC Trust and Tax ID Numbers
A big thanks to a subscriber who sent in a question about the “Married ABC Trust” and how the tax ID numbers work. In this video, I explain how the trust works while both members of a married couple are alive, and then how the tax-saving A, B, and C subtrust “compartments” work when the […]
Car “Accident” Leads to STD Case
Car “Accident” Leads to STD Case and $5.2 Million Bill to Car Insurance Company The media loves a sensationalized story, especially one that gets people angry enough to share and comment on social media. When a woman won $5.2 million from car insurance company GEICO because she contracted an STD in the backseat of one […]
What’s All This ‘Hearsay’ Crap?
What is Hearsay? “Hearsay is a statement, other than one made by the declarant while testifying at the trial or hearing, offered in evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted.” In this reaction video, I explain in plain English the definition of ‘hearsay’ that kept popping up in the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial, and […]
The Kate Moss Moment
It’s spreading across the Internet that Amber Heard “blew it” when she had her Kate Moss moment, and it really boosted Johnny Depp’s case. But why? In this video, I review this critical moment and what it actually means. The Trial If you have been following the trial at all there is a lot of […]