Do you know what type of account you opened when you and your spouse opened an account jointly? What about the account you own with your child? When was the last time you looked at your deed? Did you and your spouse buy your home before you were married? When was the last time you...
We are frequently asked whether having a Will avoids probate. Actually, the opposite is true. If a Will is the foundation of your estate plan, a probate proceeding is required after your death in order to retitle the assets that you owned prior to your death. The purpose of the probate proceeding is to validate...
It is not unusual for people to misunderstand the purpose and intent of a living will – not to be confused with a last will and testament. In fact, when we review estate planning documents with our clients before they execute them, we are often asked about the differences between health care proxies and living...
Often our “senior” clients recognize that their home is too large and requires more in the way of upkeep and maintenance than they can manage. Sometimes they even admit that it is the task of downsizing, and all that it entails, that prevents them from taking the next step. This article (link below), published in...
Tax season is over! Spring has FINALLY sprung! It’s time to “review and renew.” Each spring, we at Berwitz & DiTata LLP encourage our clients, friends and “would be” friends to focus on estate planning, refresh those resolutions and stop procrastinating. We call it our annual “Review and Renew” program. If you have never created...
Estate planning, whether simple or complex, requires careful attention to details which, if overlooked or misunderstood, can undermine the plan’s effectiveness. We like to highlight common estate planning mistakes and misconceptions whenever we can. Most people misunderstand joint accounts. Some believe that they can add the name of a loved one onto an account “for...
It’s easy to understand how advance funeral planning can reduce the stress on surviving family members and provide peace of mind. It also makes good financial sense. Many people think of funeral planning as part of estate planning. The benefits of pre-planning our own include: the ability to make personal and specific selections that most...
If you are the owner of a business or professional practice, it is important that your estate planning documents are complete and up-to-date. You should develop an ownership transition plan so that your family and your business will be protected in the event of your death or incapacity. It is also important to consider the...
Hospice is a specific type of “palliative care” which focuses on comfort driven care and pain relief, not curing. While palliative care may be available for patients at any stage of an illness, hospice care is for those with “a life-limiting illness,” in other words, people who are unlikely to live for more than six...
The FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) is an independent agency of the United States government, created to protect depositors of FDIC insured banks and savings associations, against loss due to the failure of the insured bank. It covers all types of deposits, checking, savings, money market and time deposits like certificates of deposit (“CDs”), dollar-for-dollar...
