Spending a lifetime amassing assets doesn’t do much good if you don’t then protect those assets from potential threats. Fortunately, there are a number of estate planning tools that can be used to protect assets, including a Domestic Asset Protection Trust (DAPT). To help you better understand, an Indianapolis asset protection planning attorney at Frank & Kraft explains how a DAPT helps protect your assets. DAPT Basics A domestic asset-protection trust (DAPT) is an irrevocable … [Read more...] about How a DAPT Can Help Protect Your Assets
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What Do Probate Lawyers Do?
Throughout the course of your lifetime you will likely need the assistance and/or guidance of several different types of attorneys. Often, it is clear what type of attorney you need based on the type of legal issue you have. For example, if you find yourself under arrest you clearly need to retain the services of a criminal defense attorney. Likewise, if you decide to end a marriage, you need a family law attorney to represent you in the divorce. With other types of legal matters, however, it … [Read more...] about What Do Probate Lawyers Do?
5 Estate Plan Documents to Update after the Death of a Spouse
The loss of a spouse is one of the most emotional experiences you will probably have to go through over the course of your life. The last thing you may wish to think about while you are grieving the loss of a spouse is something as seemingly mundane as updating your estate plan. Failing to do so, however, could lead to some unintended and unwanted consequences. An Indianapolis estate planning attorney at Frank & Kraft discusses five estate plan documents you should update following the death … [Read more...] about 5 Estate Plan Documents to Update after the Death of a Spouse
Your Safety Deposit Box Is Not the Safest Place for Your Estate Planning Documents
Collectively, the documents that make up your comprehensive estate plan will likely be among the most important documents you ever create during your lifetime. Given how important they are, once they are prepared and ready to be utilized when necessary, what should you do with them? The Indianapolis estate planning attorneys at Frank & Kraft explain why your safety deposit box is not the safest place for your estate planning documents. Common Estate Planning Documents Your estate plan … [Read more...] about Your Safety Deposit Box Is Not the Safest Place for Your Estate Planning Documents
Can I Contest a Trust?
Trusts are frequently included in a comprehensive estate plan for a wide variety of reasons, including the fact that a trust can help an estate avoid probate. If you are the beneficiary of a trust, however, you may wonder if you can contest a trust. The Indianapolis trust attorneys at Frank & Kraft discuss when and how a trust can be contested. Trust Fundamentals A trust is a separate legal entity that owns and holds property for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries. A trust … [Read more...] about Can I Contest a Trust?
Study Shows Less People Are Engaging in Estate Planning
There is little doubt that estate planning can be a difficult and complex endeavor. People put off creating an estate plan for many reasons. Some do so because they do not want to face their own mortality while others simply find the prospect intimidating and confusing. Unfortunately, a recent Caring.com study shows that even fewer people are engaging in estate planning than were a few short years ago. The Indianapolis estate planning attorneys at Frank & Kraft explain the findings and … [Read more...] about Study Shows Less People Are Engaging in Estate Planning
Considering Your Family’s Needs in Your Estate Plan
Creating a comprehensive estate plan will likely be one of the most important endeavors you undertake over the course of your lifetime. When properly drafted and executed, an estate plan will protect you and your loved ones while you are alive, help protect and grow your assets, and provide for your family when you are gone. Estate planning is also a highly personal process that must take the needs of you and your loved ones into account. The Indianapolis estate planning attorneys at Frank & … [Read more...] about Considering Your Family’s Needs in Your Estate Plan
If I Am the Trustee, Do I Need an Attorney to Administer the Trust?
Ideally, when a trust is created, the trust creator should discuss the position with a potential Trustee before naming that person in the trust agreement. Unfortunately, however, that does not always happen. Now that you find yourself as a Trustee, do you need an attorney to help you? The Indianapolis trust administration attorneys at Frank & Kraft explain why retaining an attorney to help you administer a trust is usually a wise decision. Trust Fundamentals A trust is a relationship … [Read more...] about If I Am the Trustee, Do I Need an Attorney to Administer the Trust?
5 Questions to Consider When Choosing a Fiduciary
While decisions relating to your assets are certainly important when creating an estate plan, they may not be the most important decisions you make. In fact, some of the decisions that impact the success, or failure, of an estate plan are frequently made without giving them much thought. Those decisions are the ones that relate to choosing fiduciary roles throughout your estate plan. To help you make the best decisions, the Indianapolis estate planning attorneys at Frank & Kraft offer five … [Read more...] about 5 Questions to Consider When Choosing a Fiduciary
Is Probate Necessary after My Mother Passed Away?
If your mother recently passed away, you are undoubtedly mourning her loss. The last thing you probably want to focus on is probating her estate. Someone, however, needs to do so. If it appears as though you are the one who will need to take control of the administration of your mother’s estate, one of the first decisions you need to make is to decide whether formal probate is necessary. It is always best to consult with an experienced probate attorney when making such an important decision. In … [Read more...] about Is Probate Necessary after My Mother Passed Away?
