Assisting Your Client: How to Choose the Initial Trustee of Their Trust

by Eileen Kerlin Walsh | Nov 7, 2024 | Blog, Common Questions, Estate Planning, Kerlin Walsh Law, News, Wills & Trusts

When a trust is established, a person is nominated to be the trustee. If your client is creating a revocable living trust, they will likely be the initial trustee. They will also want to name successors or backup trustees to step in and manage the trust’s affairs if...

Assisting Your Client: How to Choose a Conservator

by Eileen Kerlin Walsh | Nov 7, 2024 | Blog, Common Questions, Estate Planning, Healthcare Decisions, Kerlin Walsh Law, News, Wills & Trusts

Every day we make hundreds of decisions for ourselves—from what to eat for breakfast to where to vacation. However, what happens if your client cannot make decisions for themselves? Who would they want making day-to-day decisions on their behalf and serving as their...

The Perils of Joint Property

by Eileen Kerlin Walsh | Oct 1, 2024 | Blog, Common Questions, Estate Planning, Healthcare Decisions, Kerlin Walsh Law, News, Wills & Trusts

People often set up bank accounts or real estate so that they own them jointly with a spouse or other family member. The appeal of joint ownership, specifically with survivorship rights, is that when one owner dies, the other owner(s) will automatically inherit the...

What Is a General Power of Appointment?

by Eileen Kerlin Walsh | Oct 1, 2024 | Blog, Common Questions, Estate Planning, Kerlin Walsh Law, News, Wills & Trusts

Your family, the economy, the law, and society can change rapidly and unexpectedly, affecting your best-laid estate plans in unpredictable ways. To achieve your estate planning goals, you need a plan that can keep up with the changes. And few estate planning tools...

Are You Ready to Move Away from Home?

by Eileen Kerlin Walsh | Oct 1, 2024 | Blog, Common Questions, Estate Planning, Kerlin Walsh Law, Living Trusts, News, Power of Attorney, Wills & Trusts

Moving away from home is a major milestone in adulthood. For the first time, you might have to secure housing, buy insurance, sign up for utilities, and manage your finances. All of this can feel overwhelming as you simultaneously adapt to a new living environment and...

Incapacity Planning and Pets

by Eileen Kerlin Walsh | Oct 1, 2024 | Blog, Common Questions, Estate Planning, Kerlin Walsh Law, News, Pet Trusts, Power of Attorney, Wills & Trusts

Few US adults have an estate plan. Even fewer have included a pet in their plan. Perhaps you have an estate plan that addresses who will take your pet when you die. But does it address the possibility of your incapacity and the need for a temporary pet caretaker?...