Law Office of Christina A Wentzel

11/12/2020

Thank you to all our Veterans for your service!

10/29/2020

Leaving money to a charity in your Will or Trust is an admirable choice. If this is your plan, I recommend being as specific as possible. For example, if you want the YMCA in your local neighborhood to be a beneficiary, include the address, department, telephone number, and Tax ID number. In fact, charitable organizations often have specific language that they can provide you to include in your estate plan. Contacting the organization to get that language is advisable. This will prevent any confusion about who the intended beneficiary is. Your local estate planning attorney can guide you through this process.

09/22/2020

Planning on moving to a new state? This is the perfect time to review and update your estate plan. There are often a lot of differences between the laws of the state that you leave and the state that you are moving to that need to be addressed in your estate plan. If you move, you'll want to make sure your plan is in compliance with your new state laws and that your plan still does what you want it to do.

08/17/2020

So how do you begin the estate plan process? Some key things you'll want to consider are taking inventory of your assets (i.e. home, cars, sentimental items, art, life insurance, mutual funds, checking/savings, retirement accounts, etc.). Who do you trust to act as guardian of your children if you pass away? Are you the breadwinner of the family? If so, do you have enough life insurance to protect your family's way of life (i.e. cover the mortgage/rent, bills, child care, etc.). Are you a stay-at-home parent? Being a stay at home parent is one of the most demanding jobs that isn't paid and people often overlook the indispensable value of stay-at-home parents. If you pass away will your surviving spouse have enough funds to hire someone to care for your children, clean your home, cook and provide all the essential work that you do as a stay-at-home parent? Sit with an estate planning attorney to help guide you through this process.

08/06/2020

Some key takeaways from this article:

1) Estate planning can be done from home
2) Consultations can be done over the phone, video conferencing or by email
3) You don't have to meet with your attorney to sign documents
4) Signing while social distancing is an option

Do you have a plan in place should the unthinkable happen?

The reality of COVID-19 has forced many individuals to address the “what if” scenarios that were previously unthinkable. Many people are executing estate plans they have put off finalizing or initiating estate plans they should have started years ago.

07/28/2020

The unexpected can happen, so your wishes should not be left to chance, especially if you have children who are minors.

07/04/2020

Wishing everyone a safe and Happy 4th of July!