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Robert Olson - EzineArticles.com Expert Author
Robert Olson is the lead attorney at DIY Lawyer.net. A website dedicated to helping people do their own legal work including drafting a Living Trust. They offer an e-book with a money back guarantee titled the Living Trust Annotated. This book teaches you to draft your own Living Trust for a fraction of what you would pay an attorney. With the purchase of the e-book you also receive a free half hour phone consultation ... [More]
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Robert Olson Email Alerts
- Beneficiary IRA and the Living Trust - What You Need to Know
[Finance:Estate-Plan-Trusts] Here is what you need to know if you own a Beneficiary IRA and are using a Living Trust for your estate planning documents. If you are not using a Living Trust you should be because it will allow you to pass your property at death without your estate going to probate court. If your estate goes to probate it could add thousands of dollars to the cost of this post death administration.
- Simple Wills Or Simple Trust - How Do You Know If You Are Simple?
[Legal:Living-Will] Nine times out of ten, the first thing I hear as an estate planning attorney from a prospective client is "I need Simple Wills." My response is, "you are most likely right but in our first meeting I would like to also explain the Simple Trust."
- The Last Testament Will and Other Estate Planning Strategies - Learn How to Do it Yourself
[Legal:Living-Will] Make a choice between a Will or Trust as the primary form of estate planning document. If you choose a last testament will, your estate will go through probate court before being distributed to your family.
- Living Trust Fund For Children - What Are My Options?
[Finance:Estate-Plan-Trusts] Poly and Jim wanted to create a living trust fund for their children. They recently came to my law office to discuss this planning and to get suggestions. They had decided on the living trust instead of a Will because they wanted to keep their estate out of court upon their deaths to make the living trust fund for their children available immediately.
- The 411 on Living Trust Software - Does Living Trust Software Really Work?
[Finance:Estate-Plan-Trusts] The short answer is yes, living trust software or other internet trust products can be a good option versus seeing a lawyer. If you have read some of my other articles you will know that I am a big advocate of the living trust. It is a great option to avoid probate at death.
- How to Probate a Will
[Legal:Living-Will] You will need to learn how to probate a will if a loved one dies with property in their name alone and no beneficiary designation attached. You need to know how to probate a will because their estate will go through probate.
- Estate Lawyer Planning - Things to Consider
[Finance:Estate-Plan-Trusts] Estate lawyer planning is really a simple process. In my law practice, we tell clients their decisions will need to be broken into these two major categories.
- Do I Need a Living Trust?
[Legal:Living-Will] You may be surprised at the answer even if you have a small estate. Consider the living trust to keep your family out of court upon your death.
- Do it Yourself Living Trust - Be Careful
[Legal:Living-Will] If you are thinking about a do it yourself living trust from the internet, I would advise you to be careful. While some products and books from the internet are good, there are some that could give you results you didn't expect.
- A Living Trust Will Save You Precious Time and Money
[Legal:Living-Will] A living trust will save you precious time and money by avoiding a probate on both spouses' death. This can mean thousands of dollars and more than 12 months saved.
- Probate Inheritance - Is This the Best Way?
[Legal:Living-Will] Probate inheritance is defined as property, including real, personal and financial, received through the court process of probate. Probate is the court procedure that transfers the property of a deceased person. You may want to avoid this because of the associated time and cost.
- Use an Inheritance Trust in Your Living Trust For Your Child's Financial Future
[Legal:Living-Will] An inheritance trust is created in your estate planning documents, either by Will or Revocable Living Trust. It may or may not be contingent on certain ages and is put in place to secure the financial future for your children and or grandchildren.
- Estate Law Planning to Prevent Litigation
[Legal:Living-Will] Post death litigation is on the rise. Learn what you can do in your estate law planning to prevent your family from fighting over their inheritance.
- Trust Asset Protection - Start With the Living Trust
[Legal:Living-Will] A living trust can be the basis for your trust asset protection plan. Use this tool as your foundation and as your estate grows or your risk increases, protect your hard earned assets from unreasonable creditors.
- Statutory Power of Attorney - You May Not Want to Rely on It
[Legal:Living-Will] You may not want to rely on a statutory power of attorney to assist you during any periods of incapacity. The living trust may be the better option.
- Living Trust Documents - What is Needed - Part 1
[Legal:Living-Will] Once you create your Living Trust Documents, you are not done. There are several supporting documents that must be drafted and signed along with the trust agreement. Each one of these documents plays an important role depending on the facts and circumstances of the trust Grantor's life.
- Online Living Trust FAQ - Part Two
[Legal:Living-Will] We are big proponents of the Revocable Living Trust at our law firm. This is the same whether I am preparing the documents for clients or it is an online living trust. There are two main drawbacks however. First is the cost. If you have an attorney prepare a revocable trust for you expect to pay thousands of dollars.
- Online Living Trust FAQ - Part One
[Legal:Living-Will] In this two part article series I will address the online living trust questions I get asked the most in my law practice. What is a living trust, Do I need a living trust and can I do an online living trust.
- Why Holding Assets in Living Trust If You Become Incapacitated is Preferred
[Legal:Living-Will] One of the great benefits of having a trust as your estate planning document, instead of a last will and testament, and holding assets in living trust is the property management you get if you become incapacitated. If you own assets outside of a trust and become incapacitated to the point you cannot manage your finances, a court will appoint someone to do it for you. This may be the last person you would ever want in charge of your money.
- Living Trust Definition - What is a Living Trust?
[Legal:Living-Will] The best living trust definition is that a living trust is a written legal document which substitutes for a will as your primary estate planning vehicle. When you have a living trust you transfer your assets such as your home, financial assets and personal property to the trust. In addition you change the beneficiary or contingent beneficiary of retirement accounts and life insurance to the trust.
- Living Trust Tax Planning
[Legal:Living-Will] If you are considering a living trust as your primary estate planning document, you should be concerned about living trust tax planning if the total estate value for you and your spouse is greater than $3,500,000.00. This figure of $3,500,000.00 is the amount the federal government allows you to pass to your heirs without assessing estate tax.
- Sample Living Trust - Should You Use One
[Legal:Living-Will] In my estate planning law practice I get asked all the time if it is ok to use a sample living trust from the internet. My answer is maybe. If your total estate tax net worth value is less than the estate tax threshold amount then you can do it yourself.
- Living Trust Trustee - Who Should You Pick
[Legal:Living-Will] Picking a living trust trustee is not an easy task. The trustee is the person who is in charge of the trust during your lifetime. In most cases, the initial trustee is the person who created the trust, you the Grantor. In addition to the Grantor as trustee, it is a good idea to name at least two successors for during any periods of disability of the Grantor or after death.
- Funding Living Trust - What You Need to Know - Part 2 - Securities and Brokerage Accounts
[Legal:Living-Will] Funding Living Trust is the next step after signing your Living Trust Agreement. Funding means changing ownership, beneficiary or both of all assets to your Trust. If you fail to fully fund your trust your estate may go through probate depending what and how you own property. This part 2 in a 3 part series discusses Brokerage Accounts, Individual Securities and Mutual Funds.
- Funding Living Trust - What You Need to Know - Part 3 - Retirement Assets and Life Insurance
[Legal:Living-Will] Funding Living Trust Part 1 talked about bank accounts, part 2 discussed Brokerage Accounts, Individual Securities and Mutual Funds. In this the final installment, I am writing about retirement assets and life insurance.
- Funding Living Trust - What You Need to Know - Part 1 - Bank Accounts
[Legal:Living-Will] If you choose a Living Trust as your estate planning document of choice, your work is not done once you have drafted and signed it. In addition to signing the trust document, you must also fund it.
- How Much Does a Living Trust Cost - What You Need to Know
[Legal:Living-Will] A living trust cost can vary widely. It depends on your individual circumstances: The type, amount and location of the property you own; The make up of your family; The state you live in; and the attorney you hire, if you choose to hire an attorney. The biggest cost and variable is the attorney you hire instead of doing it yourself, and you certainly can do it yourself.
- Living Trust Documents - Certificate of Trust - What is Needed - Part 3
[Legal:Living-Will] Once you create your Living Trust Documents, you are not done. There are several supporting documents that must be drafted and signed along with the agreement. Each one of these documents plays an important role depending on the facts and circumstances of the Grantor and his or her life.
- Living Trust Documents - Declaration of Trust Property and Power of Attorney - What is Needed Part 2
[Legal:Living-Will] Once you create your Living Trust Documents, you are not done. There are several supporting documents that must be drafted and signed along with the trust agreement. Each one of these documents plays an important role depending on the facts and circumstances of the trust Grantor and his or her life. In part one of this series, we discussed the Pour Over Will. This article discusses the Declaration of Trust Property and Power of Attorney.
- Living Trust Vs Will - Which is Right For You
[Legal:Living-Will] Living Trust vs Will is an estate planning question I hear daily in my law practice. These are the two main forms used to accomplish estate planning. Most people have heard of the Will, but in our law practice the Revocable Living Trust is the document of choice. Both get the job of transferring your property done at death but do it in different ways. The main difference is whether your estate will go to court or remain private.
- Is Your Corporation Starting Off on the Right Foot
[Legal:Corporations-LLC] Many people forming a corporation starting their new business do so without learning the basic legal principals, corporate formalities, needed to obtain and retain their personal liability protection from corporate debts. This protection is called the corporate veil. If a corporation starting out is properly structured and these corporate formalities are followed, any debts of the company will stop there unless they were personally guaranteed.
- Filing For Incorporation is Just the Beginning
[Legal:Corporations-LLC] A properly formed and run corporation will shield your personal assets from personal liability. It will give you a corporate veil of protection. To keep this "Corporate Veil" of protection, the corporate formalities must be followed, more than filing for incorporation is needed.
- A Small Business Incorporating Must Follow the Corporate Formalities
[Legal:Corporations-LLC] If you have formed your corporation for personal liability protection, and who does not, a small business incorporating must follow the corporate formalities. Corporate formalities are the actions a corporation must follow through its officers, directors and shareholders to protect the shareholders form personal liability for corporate debts.
- How to Write Your Own Will - Should You Write Your Own Will?
[Legal:Living-Will] How to write your own will is a very good question. Before people ask me this question though, I get asked should I write my own will. From my fifteen years of experience as an estate planning attorney and even though it may take clients away, I generally say you can write your own will if you meet certain guidelines. If you do fall within these guidelines, then you can proceed to learn how to write your own will.
- How to Write a Living Will - The Basics
[Legal:Living-Will] Many people want to know what a living will is and how to write a living will. A Living Will may also be called a health care directive. It is a document that allows you to choose who you want to make health care decisions for you if you are incapacitated and cannot make the choices yourself.
- Forms For Writing a Last Will and Testament - Is it a Good Choice?
[Legal:Living-Will] Instead of using forms for writing your last will and testament, do a little research and draft your own from scratch. You can save hundreds of thousands of dollars that you would pay to an attorney.
- Last Will and Testament FAQ - Here is What You Need to Know
[Legal:Living-Will] In my estate planning law practice I often get these 5 Last Will and Testament FAQ. Estate Planning can be a simple area of law but because of all of the conflicting information from many sources it is hard to know what is correct.
- When Writing Your Own Will - Use These Ideas For Guardians and Fiduciaries
[Legal:Living-Will] When writing your own will you need to consider who will raise your minor children and who will handle the money. This article will help you understand how to go about making these decisions.
- Writing Your Last Will and Testament - 5 Tips to Help You
[Legal:Living-Will] Save hundreds of dollars writing your Last Will and Testament. If you know what should be included and how it should be worded, it is a breeze.
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