Both WILLS and TRUSTS are estate planning documents that can be used to pass your WEALTH and PROPERTY to your loved ones upon your death. However, TRUSTS come with some distinct ADVANTAGES over WILLS that you should consider when creating your plan. That said, when comparing the two planning tools, you WON'T necessarily be CHOOSING between one or the other—most plans INCLUDE both. Indeed, a will is a foundational part of every person’s estate plan, but you may want to combi

Earlier this week, we shared the first part of this series on the DANGERS of do-it-yourself estate planning. Here, we’ll look at how ONLINE legal DOCUMENTS can even put your MINOR CHILDREN at RISK. Given how far web-based technology has evolved, you might think online legal document services like LegalZoom® and WillsandTrusts.com have advanced to the point where they’re a suitable alternative to having your estate plan prepared by a lawyer. After all, you’ve been able to pr

LIFETIME ASSET PROTECTION TRUSTS are primarily designed to PROTECT your LOVED ONES and their INHERITANCE from much more common THREATS, such as divorce, serious debt, devastating illness, and unfortunate ACCIDENTS. At the same time, LAPTs can provide your heirs with a unique educational opportunity in which they gain valuable experience managing and growing their inheritance, while enjoying airtight asset protection. To demonstrate how LAPTs can provide protection to famil

A last will and testament can ensure your wishes are respected when you die. But, if your will isn’t legally valid, those wishes might not actually be carried out and instead the laws of “intestate succession” would apply meaning that the state decides who gets your stuff, and it’s very likely not to be who you would choose. If you’ve created a will online, we congratulate you for doing SOMETHING, but we strongly recommend that you have it reviewed and make sure it does what