How do you know whether or not you’ll need to go through the Connecticut probate court? To answer this question, first let’s understand what probate is and the purpose it serves. What is Probate? Probate is the process for settling an estate under court supervision. It’s designed to serve as…
Few events in life are as difficult and overwhelming as the death of a spouse, especially in the first year after the loss. Whether or not you consider yourself prepared – mentally, financially, and legally – the reality is that the loss of a spouse is a devastating event no…
By Jeff Rivard The saying “you can’t take it with you” is meant to remind people that no matter how much wealth you accumulate in your lifetime, you’ll have to leave it behind when you pass. Unfortunately, for your heirs, the same goes for your debts. Turns out that dying…
You might get the news from an unexpected phone call. Maybe you knew it would come someday, but were surprised when the day finally arrived. Or perhaps no one told you, and you learned about it after stumbling upon your deceased parent’s trust. No matter how it happens, the news…
By Brendan Daly I last saw my father on February 25th at his condo in Rhode Island. We had a wonderful day together—he showed off his new Subaru in a slightly harrowing ride, where he coasted through stop signs (aka the “Rhode Island slide”)—and I took my leave of him…
Death planning is a very personal topic, and one which most people find discomfiting. It’s hard enough to consider your own mortality as an abstract concept. It’s even harder to think in very specific—even graphic—terms about what will happen to your remains after you’ve shuffled off this mortal coil. A…
Prince, Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Bob Marley, Billie Holiday, Barry White, Sonny Bono, Tupac Shakur, Amy Winehouse, John Denver, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin. Certainly, an impressive who’s who list of music royalty that sadly left this world far too soon. However, this wildly talented group also had another…
Dealing with the aftermath of a loved one’s death is exhausting and complicated. Every day we work with grieving families who are wearily trying to untangle their newly acquired financial responsibilities. We’d like to think that your loved one had estate planning documents that instructed you about their specific wishes…
When you die, someone is going to benefit from the use of your car. Wouldn’t it be nice to decide now exactly who that person should be? You can do that today – it’s easy! When registering a vehicle, you can designate a transfer-on-death (TOD) beneficiary, not unlike what you…
Your spouse just passed away, and everything your spouse owned had a joint or beneficiary designation. All of your spouse’s assets go to you without having to go through probate first. End of story, right? Not exactly. Did you know that you still have to file paperwork with the probate…