Our Blog - Surety Matters

  Though sometimes necessary, going to court to set up guardianship for loved ones who can no longer reliably make decisions for themselves can be difficult, and painful. Court involvement makes the matter public, and…
Read Moreabout Guardianship: Are There Alternatives?

  Widely admired—and loved—, actor Chadwick Boseman was only 43 years old when he died in 2020 after a battle with colon cancer. While his estate was valued at nearly $4 million when he died,…
Read Moreabout No Will: Chadwick Boseman’s Estate

  Progressively debilitating brain diseases, like Alzheimers, require courage—and advance planning. Though estate planning is important for everyone, it is especially important for those coping with Alzheimers and other forms of dementia to act decisively…
Read Moreabout Coping With Brain Disease: Legal Advice

  When you’re entrusted with the will and other affairs of someone you care about, it’s best to prepare ahead. Of course that sounds awful, but grief will make the fiduciary responsibilities you’ve accepted even…
Read Moreabout Executor? Get Ready

Mustering family energy and focus to complete an estate plan once is a pretty big deal, right? While doing so is a gift to everyone involved, estate planning is not a “set it and forget…
Read Moreabout Estate Plan: Update vs Rewrite?

  When a loved one dies, grief can make legal terms even harder to comprehend then usual. Here’s clarity on probate: most families will work through their state’s probate process to settle the affairs of…
Read Moreabout Probate vs Probate Litigation?

  Wills and trusts are both helpful estate planning tools. Either a will or a trust enables families to lay out how assets are ultimately to be distributed. When wills are used, the public probate…
Read Moreabout Trusts and Wills: Understanding Differences

  Although many states now have expedited probate processes, lengthy delays can still occur. For example, if there is a challenge to the validity of a will, the probate process essentially comes to a halt—no…
Read Moreabout Will Contests Delay Probate

  When it comes to estate plans, there are no laws requiring parents to evenly divide assets among children. Equality often makes the most sense, both practically and emotionally. However, life circumstances may prompt questions…
Read Moreabout Fairness and Estate Planning