Wills, Trusts and Probate Law

Probate attorneys handling wills, trusts, and estate administration must typically advise their clients on matters such as beneficiary designation, how to form a life estate in property, what will happen to property if your client fails to make an estate plan, and more. FindLaw’s Corporate Counsel Center Law Library has law articles written to help you better understand specific estate planning techniques and when to consider forming a trust on your client’s behalf. If your client needs a living will or an advance health care directive, click on the articles below to help inform your research and learn the requirements of each state, such as the number of witnesses necessary and who can be designated as a health care surrogate.

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Wills, Trusts and Probate Law Articles

Guardians and Conservators Under Missouri Law

A guardian is a person who has been appointed by a court (usually the probate division of the circuit court) to have the care and custody of a minor or of an adult person who has been legally determined to be . A conservator is a person or a ...
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Guardianships Are Not Just a “Minor” Appointment

It has often been thought that guardianships are to provide for minor children after the loss of their parents. However, guardianships were designed to encompass much more and should always be designated for yourself as well as your loved ones. A ...
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Guardianships

Should you become disabled, either due to a serious mental or physical condition, what steps have you taken to protect both yourself and your loved ones? Who have you given the authority to make important decisions concerning both your medical and ...
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Handing Down the Family Business

If you are the owner of a family-run business, your heirs may be able to benefit from a special new estate tax break. However, be forewarned: these rules are complex with a capital "C." Background: The new tax break for qualified family-owned ...
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Has Offshore Trust Litigation Spoiled the Fun? Recent Decisions Regarding Offshore Trusts

he effectiveness of the so-called 'spendthrift trust' in protecting an individual's beneficial trust interest from his creditors has been firmly estab-lished in the United States ever since the Supreme Courts 1875 landmark decision in Nichols v ...
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History and Overview of the Federal Estate Tax

Article provided by the Prince Law Firm. Please visit our Web site at www.probateprince.com. The federal estate tax is defined by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax on the right to transfer property at death. The tax is imposed on the taxable ...
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How to Avoid Probate, Save Taxes, and More

Common sense answers to the most common questions people ask about leaving their property to their loved ones when they die. A. Yes. The Probate System is designed to be an orderly way of winding up your affairs, making sure that all of your ...
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How to Contest a Will or Trust

Article provided by the Prince Law Firm. Please visit our Web site at www.probateprince.com. Undertaking legal action to contest a will or trust is a step most of us will never have to take. However, if you suspect that your loved one's will is not ...
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How to Handle Anger

Anger is a natural emotion felt by everyone from time to time. Like other emotions we experience, such as happiness and sadness, anger can affect our mood. Since our mood influences our actions, it is easy to see how feelings of anger can affect how ...
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Innovative Uses of ESOPs In Estate Planning For Business Owners

A. Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) are "Qualified Deferred Compensation Plans," accordingly: 1. Written Plan. 2. Primarily in Employer Securities. 3. Exclusive Benefit 4. Coverage and Vesting 5. Discrimination 6. Top Heavy 7. Fiduciary ...
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