The estate planning process is filled with difficult decisions. Considering what’s at stake, these decisions can be agonizing. Of course, the most fundamental question is how do you want your assets distributed after your death? Another way of phrasing this question...
Firm News
How blended families are changing estate planning
There are milestone events in people’s lives such as divorce, remarriage and starting a new family that can throw even the best-laid estate plans into disarray. Of course, many avoid estate planning altogether. A recent survey found that two out of three Americans do...
What happens when you can’t find your mom’s will?
The death of a family member in Tennessee can be a stressful situation. When the family member is a mom or dad, children can be left grieving and overwhelmed by what needs to be done. Settling a person’s estate can be complicated and one thing that is involved is...
What’s a SLAT?
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act greatly expanded certain tax exemptions. Since the Act passed, Tennessee taxpayers have been searching for new ways to take advantage of these exemptions, leading to the development of innovative wealth management strategies. Of the many...
Survey shows investors are lacking in estate planning
Despite the importance of estate planning, many people in Tennessee and across the United States either put it off or ignore it entirely. There are myriad reasons for this including the misplaced belief that it is not necessary or there is plenty of time to take that...
End-of-year estate planning tips
With 2021 on the horizon, many of us can see brighter skies ahead. This year has been extremely hard on most of us. But, if there is one silver lining to this year is that interest rates are extremely low. In fact, they are at historically low levels. This opens up...
Estate planning and strategies to protect troubled loved ones
When creating an estate plan in Tennessee, the main objective is to ensure that the person who is creating a will or trust – the testator – protects loved ones and distributes the assets to the heirs as he or she sees fit. In many cases, this can be complicated....
Another celebrity dies without an estate plan
It seems like once per year, there is a celebrity death where we all discover that the celebrity never made an estate plan. Then, headlines of family in-fighting ensue. We may now see this with Chadwick Boseman, perhaps, most famous for his portrayal of Marvel’s Black...
Does all my property have to go through probate when I die?
In Tennessee, if you have a will but not a trust or if you die without a will or trust at all, your estate will be probated. However, probate can be a costly and time-consuming process. Many people in the McMinnville area will want to keep their assets out of the...
What is a partition suit?
In the full portfolio of a Tennessee resident’s assets, a family home may be one of the most valuable items of property that they own. Real property carries with it actual and intrinsic value for owners and families. When a homeowner passes away, they may choose to...