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Numerous different celebrities have failed to engage in appropriate estate planning process and this information comes out in a very public manner after that person passes away.

Aretha Franklin’s estate is no exception to this. Early indications from court documents show that Aretha Franklin might not have had a will. This was revealed in court filings that were established August 28th.

This means that her estate will be left to the court system to sort out in what is likely going to be a very public process. These proceedings are complicated even for people who do not have massive wealth or who wouldn’t be classified as celebrities. This is because these proceedings can reveal private details to the public and can also lead to battles within the family, expensive litigation over who is entitled to what is left and lengthy delays. Furthermore, it is often the case that the outcomes of these types of cases are not in accordance with what the person who passed away wanted. This situation is common among not just rich and famous people but everyone else.

Dying without a will, often referred to as dying intestate, can cause financial and tax problems that amplify family strife during a difficult time and that could have been completely avoided. Seek professional help by consulting with an experienced estate planning attorney to verify that the documents you have from a previous plan are still in line with your best interests. The support of a knowledgeable lawyer is instrumental in developing an estate plan that addresses your needs now and well into the future.

As your life changes, you will need to adapt your estate plan in line with changes to your life and having a firm relationship with an estate planning professional who you can trust makes this situation that much easier. Don’t put off the process of estate planning any longer because you could only be causing more problems for you and your loved ones by doing so.

Your Virginia Beach estate planning lawyer is here to help.

If your parents intend to pass property down to you but have not gone through the step of recording the deed, they could be putting you in a position to handle complex issues if they suddenly pass away. An unrecorded deed is an older estate planning tool that was used by attorneys years ago. However, while you can record an old unrecorded deed, this issue may have more risks than benefits. If you wish to transfer property to your loved ones in the future, sitting down with an estate planning attorney gives you the perspective on what is involved.

One important thing to remember with an unrecorded deed is that until the deed is recorded, the title of the property hasn’t changed. This means it is an uncompleted gift for gift tax purposes, and in the years that occur between the signing of the deed and the recording of that deed, the grantor still owns it. This means that they convey title to someone else or even choose to mortgage the property. You might not be able to get clear title to the property in the future if these steps are taken. Furthermore, the presence of an unrecorded deed can also cause estate issues after the grantor passes away.

If the decedent’s name is still holding the property when the person passes away, the property could transfer to someone else either through intestacy or a will. You might have to fight for a title to the property if someone else steps forward and appears to have grounds to obtain it. One of the easiest ways to prevent all of these problems is to schedule a consultation with an estate planning attorney who is thoroughly knowledgeable about and committed to helping you accomplish all of your individual estate planning goals. This can give you peace of mind and clarity about what to expect going forward.

If you have been named as an executor or another person in a position of responsibility when a loved one passes away, you need to be prepared to schedule a consultation with an attorney.

The more items you own, including those that are shared or stored online, the more time you need to dedicate to determine what happens to those assets when you’re no longer around. Without carefully planning, your loved ones might not have access to materials that you intended for them to have. The right estate planning lawyer in Virginia will sit down with you to ensure that you’ve gotten everything you need in order.

Estates have gotten complicated in recent years largely due to the fact that people have plenty of digital assets. Despite the growth and popularity of digital assets, many people fail to take necessary plans to protect their digital assets, leaving this difficult task in the hands of a loved one when they pass away. Settling the estate of a deceased family member has long been complicated and emotional. However, people need to increasingly consider what happens to their digital estate, including personal memories, photos and sensitive financial details.

While many people know it’s something they should think about, very few people have taken the necessary steps to put a plan in place about how they will handle their digital assets. Some people who have put together a digital will, will make the process that much easier for executors.

An executor can more easily find this information when necessary. The digital will can include instructions about how to download pictures from a cloud service, whether a Facebook account should be memorialized or deleted, and more.

However, plenty of people have not put together a digital will. Most people don’t do anything with the decedent’s online accounts because they do not know where to begin. Many email providers and social media companies, however, have begun to put together terms to assist executors with settling a digital estate of a decedent.

Some have their own services and specific terms and conditions. If you are thinking about putting together information like this, you need the support of an experienced estate planning attorney to assist you with the process and to provide you with necessary guidance to ensure you haven’t missed any important details.

Are you concerned about how to protect your furry friend many years into the future, particularly if you are of older age and have pets that are relatively young? You may need to consider the possibility of estate planning for your pet.

Most people make the assumption that their loved ones will step in in order to care for a pet if something were to suddenly happen to you. But this is an assumption you might not be able to afford to make.

For many different types of reasons, your family members might not be able to step in and care for your beloved pet. During this difficult time of grieving for your pet and major transition, the last thing you want is for things to be more difficult for your pet than are necessary.

This requires taking a position years in advance and protecting your animal by using something known as a pet trust. A pet trust can be used to outline the type of care that you want provided to your pet and to allow for the funds to be stored in that manner so that another person or animal sanctuary can step in to provide that care when necessary.

This can give you a great deal of peace of mind that no matter what happens to you, that your beloved pet will be taken care of. You should not have to worry about what will happen to your animals, but all too often, estate planning for pets is overlooked and this can mean that your pet is put in a dangerous and precarious situation should something suddenly happen to you. Thankfully, this situation can be avoided by advanced planning with the help of an experienced estate planning lawyer.