Your divorce will drastically change your personal circumstances. From your living arrangements to your parenting obligations, almost everything in your life shifts after divorce. You are more legally vulnerable as a single person after your divorce than you are as a...
Estate Planning
A sound estate plan relieves family pressures
Nobody wants to think about death all the time. This is one reason that individuals often put off estate planning. However, in the grand scheme of things, estate planning only takes up a relatively short amount of time, if done properly. Not only can drafting a will...
Don’t forget about mental health when making advance directives
Have you ever heard the terms advance medical directives or advance health care directives? These two estate planning terms mean the same thing—they allow you to make plans for your future medical care needs. If you become incapacitated or cannot speak your wishes...
2 things to ask when choosing a guardian for your child
A will is an important estate planning tool that outlines how you would want to have your assets distributed when you pass on. And, if you have minor children, you can also name guardians for them in your will. This way, should you pass on or become incapacitated,...
Succession planning is key if you want to leave your business
A business is only as strong as its leadership. As someone who serves as the executive or owner-operator of a successful company, you understand how important your role is for the company's success. You may have dozens of employees that rely on you to make the right...
Estate planning with young children: Things to consider
Children make life both interesting and complicated in a number of ways. If you have children, chances are you work hard to ensure that their future is secured. One way of realizing this is through your estate plan. Done right, an estate plan can safeguard your...
3 ways a thorough estate plan can protect you
Writing out a last will is not the only necessary step for estate planning. There are numerous other documents people can include, and they can address other issues beyond their final wishes when they die. Your estate plan can potentially protect you in numerous...
Do the majority of people have estate plans already?
You know that you and everyone else will use an estate plan eventually. It may be before you pass away, such as in a case where you need loved ones to make medical decisions and handle your legal affairs as you fight a disease. Or you may be in perfect health until...
When your life changes, your estate plan should change
Life is nothing if not unpredictable. No matter how carefully you plan, you may not wind up working in the industry that you expect or living in the house where you first had children. That unpredictability is one of the reasons why people decide to develop an estate...
Factors to consider when selecting your child’s guardian
When you have a child, you constantly have to make a lot of tough decisions -- and that's especially true when you're thinking about important issues like what would happen to your child if you're not around to raise them. Deciding who you want as your child’s...
Can you protect your inheritance from property division?
Many North Carolina residents are fortunate enough to receive an inheritance from parents, grandparents or other loved ones. In some cases, the inherited assets or funds could be substantial or valuable, and deciding what to do with the inheritance is not always as...
Why do so many people put off long-term planning?
It's not always easy to think about the future. It can be uncomfortable to think about what could happen after your passing and your preferences regarding what will happen to your stuff. However, estate planning is an important step for every adult, regardless of age...
Gathering small details can help when creating a trust
Even if people think a certain action is a good idea, they may have a hard time doing it. For some North Carolina residents, it may be a matter of procrastination, but for others, it may be about a lack of information on how to start a certain venture. For example,...
Is a health care directive part of your estate plan?
Maybe you had a health scare this past year and spent some time in the hospital, unable to communicate your wishes. This may have been a frightening time as you wondered whether those closest to you really understood the kind of measures you expected doctors to take...
Are you worried about the inflexibility of trusts?
When thinking about the possible options you want to use to create a comprehensive estate plan, using a trust may come to mind. However, you may also have reservations about utilizing this planning tool because there seems to be little flexibility in terms of changing...