Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now.
– Denis Waitley
As a popular culture would have us believe, breaking up is hard to do. With all the emotional and financial upheaval that is often involved with a nuptial parting of the ways, some on-the-rocks couples opt for what may seem to be the easier route of some form of separation. Despite the first-blush attractiveness of […]
When spouses wish to part ways, the finality of divorce is usually best Read More »
Probate tends to be costly and lengthy — so much so that many people seeks ways to avoid asking their heirs to go through the process at all. There are legal, probate-free means for transferring assets to heirs in the United States, but they vary from state to state. Within the metropolitan Washington area, which encompasses
With proper planning and the right choices, a person can spare heirs the probate process Read More »
Probate tends to be costly and lengthy — so much so that many people seeks ways to avoid asking their heirs to go through the process at all. There are legal, probate-free means for transferring assets to heirs in the United States, but they vary from state to state. Within the metropolitan Washington area, which encompasses
With proper planning and the right choices, a person can spare heirs the probate process Read More »
Legal terminology can sometimes seem confusing, even misleading, to the layman. The names of some legal documents can suggest one meaning while actually operating as something else. Within estate planning law, for example, living wills and powers of attorney are two well-known but often misunderstood staples. A living will is not actually a will at
In Virginia, unmarried parents have the same rights and responsibilities to their children as married couples do. However, parents who were never married may face some additional steps when they establish child custody after a breakup. Paternity frequently complicates the process of determining custody in cases where the parents were never married. If either party
Never-married parents face extra steps when establishing child custody Read More »
Adversarial divorce is perhaps the most visible type of divorce in pop culture. With this approach, both parties hire a divorce lawyer to hash out the divorce in court. This is a lengthy process that can lead to fighting over every detail of the settlement. The adversarial approach usually leads to a trial in court.
Varied approaches to divorce offer couples different structures and tones Read More »
A properly executed will is always high on the list of essential documents in sound estate planning. The decision to write a will is fundamentally important, but so are the choices made in storing the paper document once it has been produced. Somewhat surprisingly, it has been estimated that only 30 percent to 50 percent
Proper estate planning includes tracking a will’s location Read More »
In divorce cases, child custody and child support (its possible financial corollary) have, traditionally, been skewed heavily in the mother’s favor. But changing legal doctrines, social mores and economic factors have been changing the balance. Statistics from recent decades show that women were consistently awarded custody of children from 1993 through 2007 — 83 percent
Women Have Usually Trumped Men in Child Custody, But More Men May Win custody Cases Read More »
Increasingly, divorcing spouses who wish to conceal their assets are turning to electronic currencies like Bitcoin. Bitcoin is the most popular of a host of computer-generated currencies that are used to buy all manner of goods and services. It rivals cash in terms of its anonymity and surpasses it in its ease of transfer and
Watching for deception: Bitcoin may be used to conceal assets in divorce Read More »
Disabilities that sometimes develop with age can inhibit long-term planning skills. If you deal with such a condition, you may need to adjust your plans for the future so that they can support you and adhere to your wishes under any circumstance. The best advice is simply to start early. If Alzheimer’s or another form
Extra estate planning support may be necessary for those with dementia Read More »
