Best Ways to Avoid Family Conflict Over Property

by Eileen Kerlin Walsh | Feb 10, 2025 | Blog, Common Questions, Estate Planning, Kerlin Walsh Law, Wills & Trusts

Ask a group of friends if they have experienced a family fight over property after a loved one has died, and you will be in for a lively and eye-opening conversation. Far too many families end up fighting, or at least experiencing tension, over a family inheritance....

Assisting Your Client: How To Create an Estate Plan with an Only Child

by Eileen Kerlin Walsh | Dec 24, 2024 | Blog, Common Questions, Estate Planning, Kerlin Walsh Law, News, Wills & Trusts

Stereotypes surrounding “only child syndrome” have largely been debunked, as recent studies show that only children, on average, develop social skills similar to those of children with siblings.[1] Further, outdated perceptions surrounding only children have shifted...

Assisting Your Client: How Are Business Documents Relevant to An Estate Plan?

by Eileen Kerlin Walsh | Dec 24, 2024 | Blog, Common Questions, Estate Planning, Kerlin Walsh Law, News, Power of Attorney, Wills & Trusts

Studies consistently find that only about 25–35 percent of Americans have an estate plan, a shockingly low rate when you consider that, in the absence of a plan, the state—not your client’s family—decides what happens to their assets, including their business...

Assisting Your Client: Facts about Life Insurance & Estate Planning

by Eileen Kerlin Walsh | Dec 24, 2024 | Blog, Common Questions, Estate Planning, Kerlin Walsh Law, Life Insurance, News, Wills & Trusts

In an estate plan, life insurance can be used as a source of immediate liquidity for beneficiaries by offering a tax-free, lump-sum payment upon the insured’s death. About half of Americans have a life insurance policy. The primary reason people purchase life...

Will My Revocable Living Trust Avoid Probate? It Depend

by Eileen Kerlin Walsh | Dec 24, 2024 | Blog, Common Questions, Estate Planning, Healthcare Decisions, Kerlin Walsh Law, Living Trusts, News, Probate, Wills & Trusts

If you have established a revocable living trust (which we will refer to simply as a trust), congratulations! You are on the right track in creating a comprehensive estate plan. However, you are only halfway there. Many people believe that because they took the time...

Shannen Doherty Understood That With Divorce, Timing Is Everything

by Eileen Kerlin Walsh | Dec 24, 2024 | Blog, Common Questions, Estate Planning, Healthcare Decisions, Kerlin Walsh Law, News, Wills & Trusts

According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey, there were more than 670,000 divorces[1] and more than 2 million marriages in 2022. Divorce is a common life event that many Americans face during their lifetime. Some states have laws that...