You know you need a will, but do you also need a trust? Many people mistakenly believe that a will saves them the hassle of having a probate court involved. In fact, a will directs that a probate court become involved to take charge of the appointment of your personal representative and the distribution [...]

I was privileged to conduct the In Case of Emergency, Break Glass! program at the East Library on Jan 21, 2012 sponsored by the members of Artemis and the Friends of the Pikes Peak Library. It was open to the public and 5 of my close friends came as well.

We started the day [...]

15 Ways to Grow Your Business in Every Economy. Are you stuck? Has your business slowed or is your energy level dropping or your enthusiasm for your job ebbing away? We’ve all gone through times in our businesses when we just feel stuck. Feeling stuck can come from a variety of reasons including [...]

What is a will? A will is a set of instructions directing when and how affairs should be managed in the event of a death.  It also directs who makes the decisions and to whom property is awarded.  A will can also be used to name a guardian for minor or disabled children.

Who needs a [...]

Make grabbing important papers easy with this free checklist

As the hurricane looms on the east coast and people are evacuating, securing important papers is important. You should be able to grab important papers in less than 60 seconds. Birth certificates, passports, mortgage papers, marriage certificates, wills, trusts, insurance information, personal contacts, health care [...]

The death of Amy Winehouse is a reminder that being young and famous doesn’t exempt us from needing our legal paperwork in order. If you can vote, you need a will.

Less than 57% of American adults have a will. Of those who have a will, most claim that they either don’t have or [...]

One of my young friends said they really wanted a tattoo.

“Not an obnoxious one, just some tasteful art where not many people will see it,” she explained.

I asked, “On your back?” She said yes.

“So you won’t be able to see it yourself?” I persisted.

“That’s right.” She answered.

“So [...]

A will is the most common document used to specify how an estate should be handled after death. Anyone designated to receive property under a will (or trust) is called a beneficiary. A will can be simple or elaborate, depending upon the size of the estate and the wishes of the person who makes it [...]

Most people don’t want to think about end-of-life care. It involves confusing programs, compounded by the mental and physical changes as we get older.

Families are often unprepared for the care involved with senior or incapacitated family members. Most underestimate the costs involved. Many people assume that the [...]

Does a Beneficiary Deed Have a Place in your Estate Plan?

In 2004, Colorado enacted a law that allowed an owner of real property to execute a beneficiary deed which would convey real property to a new owner at the death of the original title holder provided that the deed is recorded in the official records [...]