Our Blog - Surety Matters

Typically when someone dies without a will, an administrator is appointed in probate court to settle the affairs of the deceased. When there is a will, an executor generally performs this role. In either case,…
Read Moreabout Settling Affairs: Get A Bank Account

Probate Explained Probate is not as scary as it can sometimes sound. Understanding the basics will take a weight off your shoulders if you are executing or administering a will. Even getting a probate bond…
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  Typically when someone dies without a will, an administrator is appointed in probate court to settle the affairs of the deceased. Frequently, probate courts require the administrator to obtain a type of fidelity bond,…
Read Moreabout Court Appointed Administrators Explained

  Estate planning experts are helping older adults realize unspoken hopes about the “right” distribution of assets to grown children. Sometimes this results in less equal, but ultimately more fair plans.  Realistic and transparent family…
Read Moreabout Unequal But Fair: Estate Planning

Legal experts caution that adding a child to your bank account for efficient access to funds upon your death can create its own complications. Additionally, doing so is not nearly the same as formalizing your…
Read Moreabout Joint Bank Accounts Create Complications

The art we choose to value contributes to our stories—those we tell and those that will be told about us. Whether you have a few cherished antiques, splurged on a work of modern art that…
Read Moreabout Estate Planning For Art Collectors

 While creating your estate plan, don’t forget to also arm your loved ones with information about how they can best care for you in the event you become incapacitated. Legal experts provide pointers for making…
Read Moreabout Count Yourself In: Consider a Trust

Probate law governs the ultimate resolution of our affairs: wills, trusts, estates (or the lack thereof) and the associated debts, taxes and so on. How does probate law evolve to keep up with the times,…
Read Moreabout Keeping Up With the Times: Probate Law

  Our affairs, it seems, have ways of going on without us when we die, frequently creating unintended churning for families and friends. Though most of us don’t have the accumulated wealth of celebrities, a…
Read Moreabout Rest In Peace?