You have probably heard that you need to make an estate plan, but you may not understand why or even what the term “estate planning” means. Essentially, an estate plan is the plan for what happens if you become incapacitated and when you pass away. And, it only...
Wills, Estates & Probate
Avoiding overcomplications in estate planning
Most people in Tennessee who begin the estate planning process do so with the best of intentions. For most, the goal is to make a plan that makes things easy for the heirs and beneficiaries, while at the same time preparing for any worst-case scenarios that might...
Why would I want to avoid probate court?
Probate court has gotten somewhat of a bad reputation across the country. Many people in the Greater Memphis area on both sides of the state line may want to avoid it because they think it is expensive and time-consuming. Indeed, probate proceedings can cost a lot in...
Don’t forget to update your will after a divorce
Once your divorce is final, you might feel like the hard part is over. You and your spouse have divided your property and separated your finances, and you are ready to move on with your life. An important task it is easy to overlook after your divorce is updating your...
Tennessee’s one-size-fits-all estate plan
One way to explain why it's so important to draft a will is to explain what happens if a person dies without one. For those who die without an estate plan, Tennessee imposes one of its own. Under Tennessee law, when a person dies without a valid will, the distribution...
Why do I need to include a guardian in my will?
For parents, we know that we need to estate plan. And, if you have already started, congratulations! But, one thing that you may not have added to your estate plan is a guardian. This is especially true if you did your estate plan yourself or used a cheap online...