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If you don't have a will or trust, you have no control over how your estate is distributed.

When creating an estate plan, the main decision is how your assets will be distributed after you pass away. Understanding "per stirpes" and "per capita" distribution is key to that decision.  The terms "per stirpes" and "per capita" become important when your descendants include children and granchildren.

When creating an estate plan, the main decision is how your assets will be distributed after you pass away. Understanding "per stirpes" and "per capita" distribution is key to that decision.

While you aren't technically required to hire a lawyer to draft a will, failing to do so can lead to costly problems for your family and other heirs.

Legendary singer Aretha Franklin was thought to have died without a will, but the recent discovery of handwritten documents in her home is calling that into question. A representative of her estate has asked a Michigan probate court to determine if any of the documents could be considered a val...

Movies, television, and books like to present wills in dramatic ways--handwritten notes, videos, deathbed utterances--but what actually makes a will valid? The law varies depending on what state you live in, but there are some basic rules.  The legal requirements for a will are fairly simple. ...

The main purpose of a will is to direct where your assets will go after you die, but it can also be used to instruct your heirs how to pay your debts. While generally heirs cannot inherit debt, debt can reduce what they receive. Spelling out how debt should be paid can help your heirs.

A periodic review will also give you an idea of any changes that are necessary. A will is certainly something that should be completed. However, it isn't a document to put on the shelf and forgotten because as your life and government laws change, so should your will, according to The Item in...

If the legal documents aren't signed and notarized properly, there is a good chance that problems will arise. A properly prepared will could have avoided many of the problems faced by a woman who thought she was protected, according to News 2 in “The power of a will and trouble without one.” Ms....

How many people over the age of 45 do not have a prepared will? Two out of Five! Many people seem to have a difficulty getting started with an estate plan. However, it really doesn't take much to do the planning necessary to help family members who survive you, according to the Lebanon Democ...

Life is full of surprises, so perhaps it is best to be as prepared as possible. Do you know you need a Power of Attorney and an estate plan? Getting organized to create a will is a good place to start, according to the Toronto Sun in the article “Where there's a will, there's a way.”

Celebrities including Marlon Brando, Prince and Florence Griffith-Joyner should have had up-to-date estate plans. It is not just celebrities who make big mistakes, when it comes to failing to keep an estate plan up to date, according to Kiplinger...

An estate plan can leave you a legacy, as well as protect your heirs from having to make difficult decisions in difficult times. Once again, an entertainer with considerable assets has passed away without an estate plan.

Knowing the difference between a will and a trust is crucial, as well as how they will work for you as estate planning tools. Estate planning is unique to the particular circumstances of the individual or family.  However, the two different tools that often come to the forefront are wills an...

Your estate plan can run into difficulties if your assets are not handled correctly. Your will does not necessarily have the final say on all assets. It is important how particular assets are handled. This can make a difference because houses, cars, retirement accounts and bank accounts can ...

There are many false impressions out there about creating an estate plan.  However, it actually does not have to be challenging. Estate planning does not have to be difficult to accomplish, according to The New York Times in "What It Was Like To Finally Write My Will."

A will written years ago may not fit with the current laws of your state, if changes have been made. Whether an estate plan is a good one depends on state laws that may be changed, so it is a good idea to take a fresh look at your plan, according to the Dunwoody Crier...

There are many, many reasons why people need an estate plan. There are so many reasons why people need a will, that in all likelihood everyone needs one, according to The Bellingham Herald in "Here are seven reasons you want to protect your family with a last will and testament."

While many digital legal documents have already been created, it seems that wills create a real challenge. Despite the recent move to create digital legal documents, wills, which by the very nature of the deceased being unable to verify the document in court, have remained on the back bu...

Wills and trust often go hand-in-hand, when it comes to estate planning. Should you decide to use an online service instead of going to an estate planning attorney, you may find yourself with a trust but then learn you also need a will, according to the Lake County News in "The difference...

Some simple documents will go a long way in protecting you as retirement age approaches. While many people are concerned an estate plan has to be complicated, you often only need a few simple documents prepared by an estate planning attorney, according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle in "Five legal documents...

Without guidelines, the responsibilities of maintaining property by a life tenant can grow into big problems. Giving a person life tenant rights can be a good way to avoid some family conflicts and make sure that property stays in the family.  However, it can also create different conflicts,...

If you have assets in more than one nation, you need to be sure of the laws for a solid estate plan. There are people who might need more than one will, if they have assets in more than one country and are a citizen of both countries, according to the Financial Review.

David Cassidy leaves small estate of $150,000. David Cassidy, who starred on the TV show “The Partridge Family” chose to cut his daughter out of his will, so she will not receive an inheritance from him, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Male primogeniture is the rule in England. There may be a way around the rule of male primogeniture in England, according to the Daily Mail in "New gender laws could let my girls inherit title," says Earl.