Ellis Legal LLC

Ellis Legal LLC Ellis Legal LLC - providing Family Wealth & Estate Planning Solutions to families and individuals in Maryland

Did you know that signing a trust and funding a trust are two completely different steps? Most families only do one.Sign...
08/28/2026

Did you know that signing a trust and funding a trust are two completely different steps? Most families only do one.
Signing a trust creates a legal container. But the assets don't move automatically. Your home, your bank accounts, your investment accounts: if those aren't actually transferred into the trust, they're still in your name, not the trust's name. And assets still in your name go through probate, regardless of what the trust says.
This is one of the most common estate planning failures I encounter: a family paid for a trust, assumed they were protected, and found out years later that nothing was ever transferred into it. The trust document was in a folder. The plan never actually happened.
If you received a trust this August, or if you've had one for years and aren't sure whether it's funded, that's the question to ask your attorney this week.
https://ellislegalllc.com/article/you-made-will-heres-what-it-cant-do

In case you missed it this week, the thing most families discover at exactly the wrong moment.The beneficiary designatio...
08/27/2026

In case you missed it this week, the thing most families discover at exactly the wrong moment.
The beneficiary designation forms on your retirement accounts, your life insurance, and your bank accounts with transfer-on-death elections are the ones that actually control who gets the money. Not your will.
It doesn't matter what your will says. Beneficiary designations override your will completely. And those forms, often filled out at your first job, when you were 22, before your spouse, before your kids, are sitting in a file at the institution right now, with whatever names you put on them then.
A former spouse. A parent who passed away. A child named directly, which creates a court-supervised guardianship of that money until they turn 18.
The fix is straightforward: a review of every designation, a primary and a contingent that reflects your actual life. But it has to be done deliberately. It doesn't happen automatically.
This week's article is the full checklist for what comes next after making a will.
https://ellislegalllc.com/article/you-made-will-heres-what-it-cant-do

There's a reason most families feel like their estate planning is handled, and then find out it wasn't when something go...
08/26/2026

There's a reason most families feel like their estate planning is handled, and then find out it wasn't when something goes wrong.
They got documents. They didn't get a plan.
Documents are tools. A will is a tool. A trust is a tool. What creates real protection is a relationship with a Personal Family Lawyer® who knows your family, holds the whole picture, and reviews the plan as your life changes, so the gaps don't show up at the worst possible moment.
That's what a Life & Legacy Planning® relationship looks like. Not a transaction. Not a folder in a drawer. A real attorney who knows who your kids are, who the right guardian is today, which accounts need updated beneficiary designations, and whether your trust is actually funded.
If you made a will this month and want to know whether it's actually doing its job, this is a good time to find out.
https://ellislegalllc.com/article/you-made-will-heres-what-it-cant-do

Q: "I just made a will. Am I actually done?"It's the most common assumption families make. It's exactly the gap a Person...
08/25/2026

Q: "I just made a will. Am I actually done?"
It's the most common assumption families make. It's exactly the gap a Personal Family Lawyer® firm is designed to close.
A will tells a court what you want when you die. It does not update your beneficiary designations, which can override your will completely regardless of what it says. It does not fund your trust: signing a trust and funding a trust are two different steps, and most families only do one. It does not address what happens if you're incapacitated rather than deceased. And it doesn't stay current as your life changes.
Real planning looks different. A Life & Legacy Planning® Session covers the full picture: what's in place, what's missing, and what actually needs to happen next.
A will is a starting point. It is not a plan.
https://ellislegalllc.com/article/you-made-will-heres-what-it-cant-do

You made a will this August. That was the right move, and it matters more than you know.But here's what most people don'...
08/24/2026

You made a will this August. That was the right move, and it matters more than you know.
But here's what most people don't find out until it's too late: making a will and protecting your family are not the same thing.
A will doesn't update your beneficiary designations. Those forms can override your will completely. It doesn't fund your trust. If your assets were never transferred into it, your estate still goes through probate. And a will does nothing if you're incapacitated rather than deceased. That's a completely different set of documents.
Most families discover these gaps at the worst possible moment.
This week's article is the checklist for what comes next: what it takes to make sure the plan you signed is the plan your family can count on.
https://ellislegalllc.com/article/you-made-will-heres-what-it-cant-do

Did you know that most people who have a will followed the same process: they found an attorney, paid a fee, signed some...
08/14/2026

Did you know that most people who have a will followed the same process: they found an attorney, paid a fee, signed some documents, and never heard from that attorney again?
That's the old model of estate planning. And for most families, it's quietly failing them, because life changes, and the documents don't.
A beneficiary designation pointing to a parent who passed away years ago. A guardian who's moved across the country. An incapacity provision that no longer reflects what you want. A trust that was never properly funded.
The documents exist. The plan doesn't.
Real planning looks different. A Personal Family Lawyer® Firm holds the whole picture. The plan gets reviewed and updated as your life changes. Your attorney knows your family, not just your assets. And when something happens, your family doesn't have to wonder who to call. They already know.
That's the difference between a transaction and a relationship. And it's the difference that shows up exactly when your family needs it most.
https://ellislegalllc.com/article/make-will-month-here-will-isnt-plan

In case you missed it this week, the part of estate planning most parents never think about until it's too late.A will n...
08/13/2026

In case you missed it this week, the part of estate planning most parents never think about until it's too late.
A will names a guardian for your children if something happens to you. That matters. But it only addresses the long-term arrangement.
What it doesn't cover: the first 72 hours.
If both parents die or are incapacitated at the same time, there's a window before any court proceeding can happen. In that window, there may be no one with legal authority to pick your children up from school, take them to the doctor, or ensure they aren't placed temporarily with strangers while the legal process plays out.
That gap is exactly what a Kids Protection Plan® addresses. It ensures your children are never in the care of someone you wouldn't choose, not for a single hour, not for a single day.
This week's article covers why this matters and how a real plan closes that gap for good.
https://ellislegalllc.com/article/make-will-month-here-will-isnt-plan

There's a reason most families feel like their estate planning is handled, and then find out it wasn't when something go...
08/12/2026

There's a reason most families feel like their estate planning is handled, and then find out it wasn't when something goes wrong.
They got documents. They didn't get a plan.
Documents are tools. A will is a tool. A trust is a tool. What creates real protection is a trusted advisor who knows your family, understands what you actually need, and is available when your family needs to make that call.
That's what a Life & Legacy Planning® relationship looks like. Not a transaction. Not a folder in a drawer. A real advisor who holds the whole picture, keeps the plan current as your life changes, and is there when something happens, so your family knows exactly who to call.
If you don't have that, this is a good month to start.
https://ellislegalllc.com/article/make-will-month-here-will-isnt-plan

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