Amy Jackson Douglas Atty at Law

Amy Jackson Douglas Atty at Law Arkansas Estate Planning Attorney here to help you protect and provide for those you love most.

For most people, resistance to estate planning isn't really about not caring. It's about what planning requires them to ...
07/30/2026

For most people, resistance to estate planning isn't really about not caring. It's about what planning requires them to confront.

Wills. Trusts. Powers of attorney. These conversations point directly at something most of us would rather not think about: death, incapacity, and the possibility that something goes wrong. For some people, planning for those scenarios feels like inviting them. There's also a quiet kind of optimism that quietly derails every attempt. If your spouse genuinely believes everything will be fine, planning for "just in case" feels unnecessary, not unreasonable from where they're standing. Just not urgent.

This matters because it tells you something important: logic and risk statistics are probably not the approach that will move them. This isn't a logic problem. It's an emotional one.

This week's Q&A explains what to try instead.

Subscribe to our newsletter (https://linktr.ee/ajdlaw) to get the complete guide, or send us a DM and we'll send you a copy directly. 📩

You've brought up estate planning more than once. And somehow, it never goes anywhere.Maybe your spouse changes the subj...
07/28/2026

You've brought up estate planning more than once. And somehow, it never goes anywhere.

Maybe your spouse changes the subject. Maybe they agree, then nothing happens. Maybe "we'll get to it" has quietly become the family motto.

Here's the thing: it's usually not that they don't care. It's what the planning brings up that they're avoiding, and once you understand that, the whole conversation changes.

Ready for the full breakdown? Subscribe to our newsletter by scanning the QR code to get the complete guide, or send us a DM and we'll send you a copy directly. 📩

Your family's plan doesn't have to wait for perfect timing. It just has to start.

When a loved one dies and debt collectors call within days, most families don't know what they actually owe.The families...
07/25/2026

When a loved one dies and debt collectors call within days, most families don't know what they actually owe.

The families with a plan do. Because their Personal Family Lawyer® already knows the estate, and already has the answers.

That's what real planning looks like.

Book your 15-minute discovery call here:
https://calendly.com/amyjacksondouglas/15min

Federal student loans are discharged when the borrower dies.Doesn't matter how much was owed. Gone.Private loans? Differ...
07/23/2026

Federal student loans are discharged when the borrower dies.

Doesn't matter how much was owed. Gone.

Private loans? Different story. Know the difference.

This week's blog covers the full picture: federal loans, private debt, co-signers, and what your family actually owes.

Read here: https://lp.ajdlaw.co/post/july20

When someone dies, debt collectors often call within days.They imply the family owes. Most families don't know what actu...
07/21/2026

When someone dies, debt collectors often call within days.

They imply the family owes. Most families don't know what actually belongs to the estate and what doesn't. And when families are grieving and overwhelmed, they often start paying on debt they were never legally required to pay.

A Personal Family Lawyer changes that. When a family has a plan in place, and that plan includes having their attorney's number, the call becomes a ten-minute conversation instead of six weeks of unnecessary payments.

This week's blog covers exactly what happens to each type of debt when someone dies: what the estate owes, what your family does not owe, and what you can do right now so your family is never fielding those calls alone.

Read here: https://lp.ajdlaw.co/post/july20

"Most families have no idea this provision exists.It was buried in a footnote. Not in the headlines, not in the summarie...
07/18/2026

"Most families have no idea this provision exists.

It was buried in a footnote. Not in the headlines, not in the summaries most advisors handed clients after the law passed.

But it applies to 2026 income. So for any trust that's earned income this year, this isn't theoretical. It's already in motion.

If your trust hasn't been reviewed since the One Big Beautiful Bill was signed, that review is overdue."

We look at the full picture: the trust, what it holds, who it benefits, and how the new rules affect the way it was built. The goal you set it up to achieve hasn't changed. The question is whether the structure still gets you there.

A 15-minute call is enough to know if your trust needs a closer look. Book yours through this link:
https://calendar.ajdlaw.co/widget/booking/48h4eGw2PKS5KH6BFmqc

"My trust was set up years ago. Does the new tax law affect it?"It might. The One Big Beautiful Bill added a deduction l...
07/16/2026

"My trust was set up years ago. Does the new tax law affect it?"

It might. The One Big Beautiful Bill added a deduction limit meant for high earners, but it also catches trusts, and trusts hit the top tax bracket far sooner. In 2026 a trust pays the top rate at around $16,000 of income. An individual doesn't until $640,600.

That means even a modest family trust can get caught. If yours pay income to a spouse, a child with a disability, or anyone who relies on it, the full article explains what to watch for.

Full breakdown is on the blog. Read here: https://lp.ajdlaw.co/post/july13

The new tax law gave families a win with the higher estate tax exemption. That's the part everyone talked about.Here's t...
07/14/2026

The new tax law gave families a win with the higher estate tax exemption. That's the part everyone talked about.

Here's the part nobody mentioned. Buried in the same bill is a provision that may tax certain trusts twice. And it isn't only aimed at giant estates. A $400,000 special needs trust could get caught in it. So could a trust set up to provide for a surviving spouse.

The Treasury hasn't issued guidance yet, but the rule already applies to income earned this year. If your trust hasn't had a look since the bill passed, this is worth your attention now rather than later.

Full breakdown is on the blog. Read here: https://lp.ajdlaw.co/post/july13

Most families assume the password list is enough. It is not.Two-factor authentication blocks access after the correct pa...
07/11/2026

Most families assume the password list is enough. It is not.

Two-factor authentication blocks access after the correct password, and no notebook in a top drawer accounts for it.

I build the plan that actually works when it is needed.

Book your 15-minute discovery call today to get started:
https://calendar.ajdlaw.co/widget/booking/48h4eGw2PKS5KH6BFmqc

When a will is filed for probate, it becomes a public document. Anyone can request a copy. Listing usernames, passwords,...
07/09/2026

When a will is filed for probate, it becomes a public document. Anyone can request a copy. Listing usernames, passwords, and account numbers in a will is the equivalent of publishing them. Estate planning attorneys specifically advise against it.

What belongs in the will is an instruction: who has legal authority over digital assets, and where the access information is stored safely and privately. The credentials themselves belong somewhere secure.

Read this week’s full guide here: https://lp.ajdlaw.co/post/july6

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