A List of Bad Reasons to Put Off Estate Planning
My family and I don’t own much. Can’t we put off planning until we can afford it? You shouldn’t. It is crucial to give legal authority to a person of your choice, to care for your children if anything should happen to you. You don’t want your children to become wards of the court, […]
Consequences of Undue Influence
Unfortunately, our loved ones become old, become ill, and become vulnerable from fraud and theft. Targeted attacks on vulnerable older people to exert what attorneys deem “undue influence” constitutes elder abuse. It disrupts the older persons’ impulse to provide for loved ones and instead leaves assets to the manipulator. Often, family members do not find […]
Disinheriting Your Child Could be Costly
Although it’s more common to leave your estate equally distributed to your children, sometimes parents intentionally choose to not leave anything to a child, and the reasons for doing so may vary. One reason could be that a child who is more financially successful than the others and the parent doesn’t feel it’s necessary to […]
The Difference Between Elder Law and Estate Planning
Many people wonder what the difference between estate planning and elder law is. The short answer: Both share similar concerns. The longer answer? The differences make all the difference. The Concerns are Similar No matter what age we’re in, life can deliver some hard knocks. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst. We […]
End of Life Planning to Convey Wishes
As lawyers, we prepare powers-of-attorney documents so that when our clients can no longer act for themselves, the documents will convey on other trusted people the authority to act on our clients’ behalf. But when it comes to actually using those documents at the time of a health-care crisis, clear and powerful documents are just […]
Creating a Letter Of Instruction To Go With Your Estate Plan
It doesn’t matter whether you are starting from scratch or have an estate plan in place, a letter of instruction (LOI) is an important part of any comprehensive plan. A letter of instruction can help your loved ones manage important information about you. An LOI conveys your desires, includes practical information about where to find […]
What It Means To Be a “Fiduciary”
One day, someone you love may ask you to be a power of attorney. Your person may be planning for when they might become unable to take care of their affairs. For example, they might become disabled or incapacitated, and they would need a trusted person to step in and manage for them. This is […]
Knowing The Difference Between a Will and a Trust
Trusts and Wills have specific and quite different benefits for estate planning purposes. Each state has specific laws and regulations governing these legal documents. You can have both a will and a trust; however, the information in each should compliment the other. As a standalone, it is not accurate to say one is better than […]
Daniel R. Miller Named to Super Lawyers 2020 Rising Stars
Miller & Miller Law Group PLLC is pleased to announce that Daniel R. Miller has been named to the 2020 New York Metro Rising Stars List. To qualify, New York Metro Rising Stars must be 40 years old or younger or have been practicing for less than 10 years. Recipients represent the top 2.5% percent […]
What are non-probate assets and how to recover them?
When a person passes away, their estate is often comprised of probate assets and non-probate assets. Probate assets are assets that will be distributed according to the decedent’s Last Will & Testament. These assets are titled solely in the decedent’s name. Non-probate assets are sometimes called testamentary substitutes. These assets have beneficiaries associated with the […]