Connell Law, PLLC

09/18/2026

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month. Life insurance plays a critical role for a variety of people, including families with minor children and business owners.

Let's discuss some of the roles that life insurance plays in a comprehensive estate plan.

Life insurance plays a key role in estate planning. But its importance cannot be overstated, especially for young families.

09/11/2026

25 years ago today, we were given a shocking example of how fragile life is and the fact that evil beyond comprehension exists in this world. Countless people went to work that seemingly ordinary Tuesday morning. 2,977 did not return home.

This time of year is a heavy reminder that tragedies and malevolence often strike without warning. I was only 7 years old at the time, but I remember seeing the events unfold on live TV just a couple of counties away. It was a formative event in spite of how young I was.

Though time marches on, we need to always remember not just the fallen, but also those who showed incredible bravery and saved countless lives as a result. We saw humanity both at its worst and its best that day and in the days that followed.

May we live every single day in a manner that honors their memory. Hold your loved ones close. Pray for our divided nation.

09/03/2026

If a child inherits money through probate, the law generally an adult to be appointed to manage it until the child turns 18. That means a guardianship estate, which involves court oversight and extra expenses.

But the good news is that there's a shortcut for smaller amounts.

If the minor's total share is under $25,000, we may be able to skip the guardianship estate and instead order the money paid to the child's parent, guardian, or caregiver.

A few things worth knowing:

→ This is not automatic. The probate judge still has to find that distributing to the parent, guardian, or caregiver is in the child's best interest
→ The court can appoint a Guardian Ad Litem to help make that call (which means additional expense).
→ Once the money's released, there's no ongoing court oversight of how it's spent. But it should still be used for the child's benefit.

If you're administering an estate with a minor beneficiary and the numbers are close to that $25,000 line, it's worth considering if an easier distribution path may be available.

If you need assistance with an estate that has minor beneficiaries, we can help. Reach out to request a consultation.

📱629-219-9100

08/27/2026

We had a great turnout yesterday for our new location ribbon cutting. Thank you to all who attended and to everyone who has been so supportive of us as we continue to grow!

08/04/2026

Connell Law is pleased to announce that Lindsay Philpot has joined the team as our Administrative Assistant! She is dedicated to providing exceptional client service and support, and works closely with the firm’s clients to ensure that every step is handled with professionalism, attention to detail, and dignity.

Lindsay’s passion for estate planning emanates in her personal experience following the loss of her grandfather. That experience gave her a deep belief that careful preparation today is the greatest gift a person can leave for their family. She is honored to work alongside Seth Connell to assist clients in planning and protecting what matters most.

Outside of work, Lindsay enjoys spending time with her service dog and visiting her siblings, Weston and Penelope, in Memphis whenever she has the opportunity.

07/31/2026

Today is the last day of Ruthie's voting. If you haven't yet, we'd appreciate you casting your ballot for Connell Law!

Check it out now!

07/28/2026

Ruthie's voting is still ongoing! You can cast your vote for your favorites in town through this Friday, July 31. We would appreciate your support in the Law Firm category!

Check it out now!

07/21/2026

Your estate plan is more than legal documents. It's a roadmap.

Wills, trusts, and powers of attorney matter. Your family and fiduciaries need to know where your legal documents are and what they say.

But your legal documents are just one part of the plan. It's also critical to know where your assets are. If we cannot find where your investments, bank accounts, and other assets are located, your estate plan may not be properly funded.

It's also necessary to know who the important people are in your life if they may be necessary to carry out your plan. This can include your CPA, financial planner, and insurance agent. It could also include a close friend or pastor who has important information about you and your wishes.

You carry a lifetime of "institutional knowledge" about your own finances and affairs. This includes information like which bank you use, who your mortgage lender is, and who manages your investments. It's second nature to you.

The challenge is that none of that information is intuitive to the person stepping in on your behalf. If it's only in your head, it dies with you or gets buried in a drawer that no one thinks to check.

That's why we started giving our clients "cheat sheets" in our estate plan packages. These fillable resources are simple worksheets to log bank and investment accounts, digital assets, life insurance policies, and advisor contacts, plus the key people who will need to step in. One place for everything that's needed. No scavenger hunt.

Ready to fill the gaps in your plan? Give us a call. 📞 629-219-9100

07/17/2026

2026 Ruthie's voting has started and we are a finalist! We would appreciate your support again this year.

Voting runs from today through July 31 and you can vote daily in your favorite categories.

05/28/2026

Here's an important tip to protect your home.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in deed fraud. This is where someone pretends to be the owner of the property and then executes a fraudulent deed transferring it to another party.

Untangling a mess like that can be a costly nightmare. There is legislation coming into effect soon that will hopefully reduce the amount of fraud, but combating it is an ongoing challenge.

Something that you can do is sign up for My Land Alert. This is a free service that notifies you of any changes in the owner of record for the address you input.

So, for example, let's say you decide to put your primary residence into a revocable trust. Upon the deed being recorded, you will receive an alert that there was a change to the property's ownership.

While this does not stop deed fraud, it puts you on immediate notice that there may be a problem so that you can take action right away.

The following counties participate in this program:

Benton, Blount, Campbell, Cannon, Carroll, Carter, Cheatham, Chester, Crockett, Cocke, Cumberland, Decatur, Dekalb, Dickson, Dyer, Gibson, Grainger, Grundy, Hancock, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Johnson, Lake, Lauderdale, Lewis, Marshall, McMinn, McNairy, Meigs, Montgomery, Morgan, Obion, Overton, Polk, Putnam, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Stewart, Sullivan, Sumner, Tipton, Trousdale, Unicoi, Warren, Washington, and Wayne

The link to sign up for My Land Alert is below.