What is Probate? To answer why you should avoid probate, it’s important to start with an explanation of what probate is. Probate is the court process by which a deceased person’s property is distributed when there is no clearly and…
Overcoming New Year's Over-Resolving With the Power of Small Steps It’s January, again. I love January, partly because I love New Year’s resolutions. The opportunity to start over, do better, be better – improve myself, my life, my business –…
Happy New Year! Here at The Estate Planner, we’re excited to welcome 2023. The New Year is a great time for reflection, planning and (for some) making resolutions. Although making healthier choices frequently tops New Year’s “to do” lists, we’d…
Hmmm. That doesn’t quite have the cheery phrasing I intended. But I am serious. The holidays can be a great time to have estate planning discussions with loved ones. Particularly for families with loved ones who reside in many places,…
A comprehensive estate plan prepared by a qualified St. Louis estate planning attorney is a fantastic way to create peace of mind. But if you're looking for something that you can do on a daily basis that creates peace of…
A life-threatening accident or disabling illness are difficult things to consider. Especially if that accident or illness means you are no longer able to make your own health care decisions. If you can’t make health care decisions for yourself, who…
This is one of my very favorite pictures of my youngest son. We are camping on a gorgeous small lake in the mountains, he is wearing overalls gifted to us by my grandparents identical to the ones always worn by…
One of the most difficult decisions when preparing an estate plan is choosing who should be your financial helpers. By financial helpers, I mean those people or entities who will take care of your money, investments, home, finances and other…
As an estate planning attorney, I talk a lot about death, dying and illness. I love the work I do because I think it’s important and I know a good estate plan makes things so much easier for our loved…
An estate plan often focuses on tangible property such as real estate, bank accounts, investments, jewelry, artwork, and vehicles. However, in this age of technology, it is important to include your digital assets. Digital assets consist of everything we own…