Newsletters

Protection of the Immediate Family

One of the main purposes for making and leaving a will is to guide the administration of the estate of the testator--the person who made the will. A will should be written in language that is clear and indisputable. Alas, the language in a will may be unclear or vague. This article discusses will interpretation doctrines designed to protect the testator's immediate family from mistakes, or apparent mistakes, by the testator.

The Natural Objects of One's Bounty - III

This article is the third part of a three-part series describing the traditional names for the various members of one's family.

Transfer on Death Registration of Securities

TOD or transfer on death registration of securities allows an investor to arrange for transfer of securities upon the investor's death without the necessity of having the securities go through probate. The executor or administrator of an estate does not have to take any action regarding specific securities that have TOD registration or even entire accounts that have been set up with TOD instructions.

Bank Account Co-Ownership Myths

One confusing aspect of estate planning is the numerous myths about the co-ownership of bank accounts. The different types of bank accounts are often confused with the standard forms of property co-ownership. This article discusses some of the myths about the co-ownership of bank accounts.

Handwritten and Oral Wills

Today, the standard method of making a will is the formal witnessed written will, sometimes called an attested will. However, today's formal witnessed will has roots in other methods of making a will. The first wills in medieval England were the oral wills recognized by church-related courts. Some states permit one or more of the historic methods of making a will. This article discusses handwritten and orals wills. Contact your lawyer to learn if these methods of will making are permitted in your state.