NC and SC Estate Planning and Elder Law Firm

When you read the title above, what was the age of the person that came to mind? If you are like most people, the first person you thought of was a child. However, older adults are just as vulnerable as children online.  

Financial losses from elder fraud and abuse are estimated to total more than $36 billion per year. More and more of that fraud is happening online.
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The “I do” to-do list seems like it is never-ending. There are flowers to pick out, venues to book, dresses and suits to find and get fitted, and a million other things that the bride and groom must attend to before walking down that aisle. One to-do a lot of couples skip, and later regret, is a visit with an estate planning attorney.
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If you have ever seen the cult classic Tommy Boy you should know that having a succession plan in place does not guarantee that your succession plan will be successfully implemented.

If you have never seen it, you should since it’s hilarious. It tells the story of Thomas R.

How can I ensure my estate plan includes my digital assets?

In the past decade, banking and finances have moved to the digital realm.  Most companies offer you the option of electronic statements, online bill pay, and electronic auto payments.  These methods are more environmentally friendly and potentially time-saving, but moving all of your assets and accounts online can lead to challenges in estate planning.  Our Read more . . .

“There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don't know we don't know. And if one looks throughout the history of our country and other free countries, it is the latter category that tend to be the difficult ones.”

-Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld

This is the quote that sprang to mind when the Government Accountability Office’s Read more . . .

Sinatra crooned that love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage, but Old Blue Eyes might be singing a different tune if he were alive today. Many couples do indeed have one without the other, particularly if their current love is not their first. Couples in such a relationship may not want to formalize their relationship in a public ceremony, but they should consider talking with an estate planning attorney to make sure their end of life wishes are not ignored because they chose not to tie the knot.
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Having a vacation home on the beach or in the mountains is the goal of many Carolina families, but keeping that property in the family for the next generation to enjoy can be a challenge without proper planning. Below are a few tips for families that want to pass a vacation home on to the next generation without too many headaches or heartaches.

Treat the Property Like A Business

If a property is being passed on to a group of people, it should basically be treated like a business.
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If you have been active on social media lately you have probably seen someone raising money for a good cause via an online platform like GoFu

If you have been active on social media lately you have probably seen someone raising money for a good cause via an online platform like GoFundMe. These crowdfunding campaigns take the concept of the coffee can on the gas station counter and bring it into the 21^st century.

But do-gooders are not the only ones who are looking for funding online. Businesses have been eager to get into the crowdfunding game as well. One need only take a quick look at Kickstarter or other similar sites to see how popular the concept has gotten.

Fluffy, Fido, and Polly are more than just pets. They are family members. But unless you make special plans for them, they will be treated no differently than a piece of furniture when you die.

A lot of people assume that their family members will step up and do the right thing for a beloved pet, but we have seen many heartbreaking things happen to pets who outlive their owners.

Sometimes nobody in the family wants, or is able to, take a new pet into their home.
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One goal of estate planning is to provide for our loved ones when we are no longer around. At times, however, some beneficiaries may irresponsible or have other issues that could lead them to squander an inheritance. In these situations, it is possible to leave assets to a troubled heir by creating a spendthrift trust. In short, the objective is to limit a beneficiary's access to trust property in order to protect it from him or herself, or creditors.

The trust is set up so that assets or funds are not provided directly to the beneficiary.
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The Department of Veterans Affairs operates several programs that provide financial, medical, and other forms of assistance to veterans. At the federal level, there are four major benefit programs:

• Disability compensation

• Free or low-cost medical care

• Education programs

Pension programsMany other types of veterans’ benefits are available as well, including special benefits regarding home financing, job training, PTSD support, small business loans, counseling, life insurance, and burial and memorial services. Benefits for survivors are also often available.
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