Estate planning includes all the planning that’s involved for setting up a will, a trust and making sure that your assets go to the people or organizations that you want to have them. Estate planning is complex — you should consider taxes when making plans for your assets to go to your heirs. If you don’t do estate planning you risk having your belongings managed by the state where you live, and your state’s laws may not match exactly what you want. Estate planning is especially important in blended families.
Settling Estate With Large Mortgage
When a person dies, all of the assets in an estate would typically be sold, and that cash would be used to pay off the person's creditors. Any financial assets in the estate would also be liquidated to pay off any remaining debt. If there is anything left in the estate after the debts have been repaid, it would be distributed according to the terms of the will.
Elderly Parent Uncomfortable With Changes To His Home
An elderly parent had his daughter's family move into his large home when he was ill. Now the daughter is making a lot of changes and he feels uncomfortable in his own home. The homeowner should begin charging rent and look over his will, powers of attorney and other estate matters.
Protect Assets With Estate Planning Including Will
When you own a home with a partner who has children from another relationship you may be wondering how to protect your assets. While it's good to buy a home as joint tenants with rights of survivorship, a will can ensure that your property inheritance desires are met. Estate planning, including a will, can protect other assets as well.
Trust Helps Save On Inheritance Tax
Setting up a trust for inheritance purposes ensures that assets are divided the way the deceased person wanted. A trust can also help save on inheritance taxes. Upon death, the assets in the trust are divided up among the beneficiaries.
How Is Property Divided With No Will?
How will property be divided if there is no will? How the property will be divided depends on how the title to the property is held.
Understanding Inheritance Of Property
A woman inherited a home along with her brother. After her brother passed away, is the woman now the sole owner of the inherited home? How the title of the home is outlined will determine who now owns the brother's share of the inherited home.
Inherited Property Transferred Out Of Living Trust
When you inherit property, it is inherited at its current market value. An estate will usually pay any federal estate or state taxes owed on inherited property. It may also be beneficial to leave it in the trust.
Siblings Negotiate Parent’s Estate
How the IRS treats inherited property depends on how the ownership of the home is outlined. In this case, one child is already on the title of a home with her mother, so it depends on if they own the home "jointly" or each own a specific share. What is outlined in the owner's will will also dictate what will happen to the property when the mother dies.
Hire Attorney To Resolve Title Problems
When your spouse passes away and the title to your home has the name of another individual on it, what can you do? One option is to offer to buy out the other party whose name is on the title to the home. Another option is to hire an estate attorney to resolve title problems.
Living Trust May Help With Inheritance
A living trust many be the best way to pass on property that you have inherited. If you don't have a trust or will documenting how you want things passed on, the laws of your state will prevail.