Wright Law Column
Is it Your Estate Plan or the Plan Chosen for You?
One of the most enjoyable parts of my practice is the opportunity to work with people creating an estate plan. As we discuss the issues that matter most to them, and tailor a plan to address those issues, they often express the peace of mind this process provides....
The Lesson Behind Estate Planning We Must Not Forget
If you have ever wondered about estate planning and how you can take action now to prepare for the future you are in the right place. I write these columns primarily to encourage people to prepare their estate plan before it is too late. Without preparation, many...
Are you Prepared to Step In?
I read an article published in the Wall Street Journal® titled “The Difficult, Delicate Untangling of Our Parents’ Lives.” The author and his wife were in their 50s and dealing with the challenges of parents too incapacitated to handle their own affairs. ...
What Will Your Estate Plan Accomplish for Your Family?
For those who attend my presentations, I offer a free, no obligation estate planning audit. There are three reasons for the audit. First, we discuss the issues/questions important to that person or couple. Second, we discuss what is accomplished with their current...
A Simple Step to Protect Your Family
A common thread of my posts is the need to “plan when you can.” This stems from what I consider to be the first rule of proper estate planning . . . ensure you maintain control of your estate. In this case, “estate” does not mean just your possessions or “stuff.” It...
What is the Best Way to Help Your Aging Parent?
There are usually serious challenges for both parent and child as an aging parent loses the ability to care for himself or herself. In some cases, the parent may have only nominal limitations. In others, a parent may be fully incapacitated. A parent may be mentally...
The Solution is Simple, Until It Is Too Late
I once met with a family dealing with a terrible, unexpected crisis. A family member had been seriouslyinjured in an automobile accident and faced months – possibly years – of recovery. His cognitiveabilities had been seriously affected. For at least the foreseeable...
Is Someone Close to You a Risk to Your Estate?
Exploitation of seniors is an extremely serious issue. Financial abuse costs seniors 2.6 billion annually, according to a study by MetLife, although four out of five cases are not reported. In the majority of those cases, family members and caregivers are the...
Divorce and Your (or Your Child’s) Estate Plan
Last article I addressed what would happen if your Will leaves everything to your spouse, but you later divorce and do not change the Will. Idaho law prohibits an ex-spouse from receiving assets just because he or she was named in a Will created prior to the divorce....