Today many people are using a revocable living trust instead of a will or joint ownership as the foundation of their estate plan. When properly prepared, a living trust will avoid the public, costly and time-consuming court processes of conservatorship or guardianship (due to incapacity) or probate (after death). Still, many people make a big [...]

The whirlwind of excitement and activity surrounding the launch of a startup can feel overwhelming. You’re so focused on managing the day-to-day logistics of getting your business up and running, you often don’t have time to focus on the bigger picture. Because of this, it can be easy to overlook some perilous legal pitfalls that [...]

You might not be a big fan of their typical life choices, but the Kardashians recently demonstrated impressive wisdom in protecting their minor children using estate planning. During a recent episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Khloé Kardashian was preparing to give birth to her first child, daughter True. Khloé was second-guessing her initial [...]

If you’re active on social media, Facebook probably plays a prominent role in your life. And now the social media titan can even play a role in your afterlife. Today, estate planning encompasses not only your tangible assets—bank accounts and real estate—but your digital assets as well, such as cryptocurrency, websites, and social media accounts. [...]

When launching a startup, one of your most pressing matters is getting your company’s name and identity out there—and having people remember it. But in many industries, getting your business recognized among a sea of competitors can be a daunting task. Like it or not, your company’s success and failure could be largely a matter [...]

Farming or ranching is more than a means of livelihood – it is about preserving a legacy and unique way of life.  Unfortunately, many farmers and ranchers fail to make an estate plan.  The farm or ranch that has been passed down for generations then ends up being sold and converted into non-agricultural use, cutting [...]

A couple weeks ago, we shared the first part of our series on selecting and naming the right guardians for your children. If you haven’t read it yet, you can do so here. This week, in part two, we discuss the final three steps in the process:   Narrow candidate list, and rank your choices [...]

President Trump signed the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act bill into law on December 22, 2017, and the law includes a number of historic changes to the federal tax code. However, the vast majority of the most dramatic changes are aimed at business taxation, not individual taxpayers. That said, there are several fairly significant [...]

If you have ever met someone who repeatedly sabotaged their life or seemed to have a hard time moving things forward, despite the best of intentions, it may be that they were dealing with unprocessed grief. Most people have never been taught to deal with grief and as a result are stuck dealing with confusing emotions, [...]

A large part of being a successful business owner is knowing how to make deals and facilitate conflict when it arises. When in a dispute over a deal or an agreement that has been made, the potential costs are endless. The potential cost of litigation, the potential cost of loss of reputation, the potential cost [...]