Here is a really interesting study on inheritance in America. In a nutshell, you are more likely to receive an inheritance if you are already wealthy; there are also significant gaps that fall along racial lines, with non-Hispanic whites receiving far more...
Latest News
Estate Planning
Do I have to act?
If you do a will or power of attorney, you can name anyone you want. They don’t have to act though. If you want everything to move smoothly, you should absolutely talk to your proposed executor or attorney to make sure that they are prepared to take over when the time...
Out of date
I’ve been writing a lot recently on keeping things up-to-date and properly planned. Here are some indicators that your estate plan might be out of date: You have bought something major. A house, a cottage, a fancy RV: all of these are reasons to think about updating...
3 ways to do a will
In Ontario, there are three ways to do your will, all of which have pros and cons. Holograph wills. I have written about these before; holograph wills are done entirely in your own handwriting. They have been done on bags, on hubcaps, and, more commonly, on pieces of...
Everyone gets a gift
Today’s post needs no comment. This is an art print for the estate planner or disappointed beneficiary in your life.
Top 5
Last week, I talked about top tips for planning your estate. This week, it’s top tips for managing an inheritance: Don’t spend it all. Sit down with a financial planner before you decide what you are going to do with it. Your relative took a long time earning that...
Top 6
Here are some very useful tips to help your family when you are gone: Don’t keep your estate plan a secret. It’s far better if everyone knows what is going to happen ahead of time so that you can deal with questions or concerns now. Decide on what “descendant” means...
Death in the middle of divorce
I am currently assisting two clients with estate administration for their husbands, both of whom died very suddenly and without wills. The situations are opposite, and it comes down to a separation agreement. For my first client, she and her husband had been separated...
Stolen body parts
I recently came across this article about a woman in Philadelphia whose son’s body was not properly returned to her. Mary Anderson’s son died of complications from a lung infection, so she authorized an autopsy to determine exactly what he died of. When his body was...
Planning for plants
I love my houseplants. I have some beautiful ones that I rooted off old plants of my mother’s, and some that I received as gifts in small planters that I have grown to huge plants, almost small trees. For me, they are far more than mere decorations, but it had never...