It is difficult to imagine ourselves becoming so incapacitated that we can no longer make our own medical decisions. Yet that situation will arise for many of us at some point. In these instances, someone else, whether a designated relative, close friend, or the attending medical professionals may need to make the decisions that will alleviate a terminal and irreversible condition.
Sometimes the execution of a will does not go as smoothly as the deceased person and, most likely, the executor would have hoped. At times, a relative or someone close to the decedent may contest a will believing that their share of assets stipulated by the will must be wrong.
When a parent passes, the executor and the children of the deceased may face several challenges while liquidating the assets of the estate. While some aspects can be somewhat perplexing, an experienced estate attorney will help to smooth the way.
When considering the various components of your will, tax considerations should be an important element to discuss with your professional estate planner. After all, leaving your heirs with substantially less because of an unintended tax bite is likely not your intent.
When you were just starting out and beginning to accumulate assets, thoughts of caring for your growing family’s future if you were suddenly gone likely developed. While in your twenties or thirties, you began to save, invest, and maybe even purchased a life insurance policy to protect your family’s financial future in the event of unfortunate circumstances.
Executors of the will of a relative or other loved one have an important obligation. That person has been bestowed the job of ensuring that all assets are distributed properly, according to their wishes, to all designated heirs. The task does not end until any probate court proceedings have been concluded, a final tax return filed, and the assets fully dispersed.
