Make Your Medical Wishes Known for National Healthcare Decisions Day
National Healthcare Decisions Day is on April 16th, and it’s an important reminder for every adult to begin having conversations with loved ones about their most private wishes for medical and end-of-life care.
Filling out the Oregon Advance Directive
Greetings, fellow quaratiners! I really want you to fill out your Oregon Advance Directive, so I did a video walking you through how to fill it out.
Spring Cleaning from an Estate Planning Lawyer: 3 Things to Review NOW
As part of your Spring Cleaning, I recommend that you review a few key things to make sure that your estate and financial plans are going to work when you need them. You have made investments in your future based on goals that you have. It’s smart to review them each year to make sure that you’ve protected your investment, and so that your plan aren’t totally useless by the time you need them.
3 Things to Do When Your Aging Loved One Gets a Terminal Diagnosis
When a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness, it is scary and overwhelming. Having a to-do list can feel empowering and keep you occupied and proactive. There are three major things you can do right away to help your newly diagnosed loved one. When you accomplish these tasks, you can then focus on the work of being there for your loved one in their final months.
How to Get Your Estate Plan Done before Summer Vacation
We are about three months away from summer vacation, which makes today a perfect day to get started with your estate planning. If you get started now, you can be finished in time for summer. One of the worst stories about a failure to do estate planning that I’ve ever heard happened when the family was on vacation. There was a car accident, and both parents were killed, but the kids survived. The parents hadn’t even named guardians, and their family members fought over the kids for 18 months while the kids lived with foster parents. I know that sounds terrifying, but it’s all stuff you have to power to avoid, even if you can’t avoid when and where you are when your estate plan is needed.
3 Bad Things That Could Happen If You Don't Get Life Insurance Right Now!
Most people should have life insurance, especially if you have anyone who depends on you financially or for actual care. People who need life insurance usually know that they need life insurance, but are waiting for a better day to buy it. You are not going to get thinner, richer, or smarter than you are now. I am here to tell you that if you wait for a better day to buy life insurance, bad things can happen.
Talking to Family during the Holidays: Part 3, Kids
Going home to see family during the holidays gives you a great opportunity to talk with them about Estate Planning. I always tell my clients that communication about estate planning is half the battle, but sadly, it is the most overlooked part of the process. I thought I would put together a quick video series before the holidays that gives you some tips on how to approach these conversations as well as how to organize your thoughts around figuring out what information is important to learn, discuss, and share. This is a three-part series. The first part was about Healthcare, and you can read it here. The second part was about Assets, and you can read it here. This article and video are Part 3, Kids.
Talking to Family during the Holidays: Part 2, Assets
Going home to see family during the holidays gives you a great opportunity to talk with them about Estate Planning. I always tell my clients that communication about estate planning is half the battle, but sadly, it is the most overlooked part of the process. I thought I would put together a quick video series before the holidays that gives you some tips on how to approach these conversations as well as how to organize your thoughts around figuring out what information is important to learn, discuss, and share. This will be a three-part series. The first part was about Healthcare, and you can read it here. Today, we are tackling Part 2, Assets. (Part 3 next week will be about Kids.)
Talking to Family during the Holidays: Part 1, Healthcare
Going home to see family during the holidays gives you a great opportunity to talk with them about Estate Planning. I always tell my clients that communication about estate planning is half the battle, but sadly, it is the most overlooked part of the process. I thought I would put together a quick video series before the holidays that gives you some tips on how to approach these conversations as well as how to organize your thoughts around figuring out what information is important to learn, discuss, and share. This will be a three-part series. The first part is about Healthcare. (Part 2 will be about Assets, and Part 3 will be about Kids.)
How to protect assets for kids with financial issues.
There are many reasons why parents may want to consider protecting their kids’ inheritance for them in an asset protection trust. Some of these include: They are bad with money; they are disabled and depend on government programs; they have creditor issues or face bankruptcy; they have lawsuits against them; or they are in high-risk professions for being sued. As you can see, the reasons can range from negative behaviors, to things beyond their control, to having achieved some level of success.
What if your spouse remarries after you die?
One of the things that couples should consider when doing their estate planning is: What happens to my assets if my surviving spouse remarries? Many people worry that their assets will eventually go to their surviving spouse’s new partner, rather than the kids, and they are right to worry. That is how things end up most of the time. But there are some ways that you can plan to avoid that happening, if this is a concern that you have.
Roots + Wings Legal Podcast, Episode 5: Interview with Financial Counselor Dawn Torres-Gale
Welcome to the Roots + Wings Legal Podcast, hosted by Aiston Law LLC and Portland, Oregon Attorney Candice Aiston. In our 5th episode, we talk with Financial Counselor Dawn Torres-Gale. I surveyed the people in my Facebook group, Portland Smart Planning Parents, about the money and legal issues that keep them up at night. The top two answers were: 1) not enough money to cover a life event such as a layoff or illness; 2) not enough money or unsure if enough money in retirement savings. I asked Dawn if she could provide some guidance in these areas, and we recorded this podcast episode.