by Paige Fuoco | Dec 7, 2021 | Estate Planning, Power of Attorney, Trusts, Wills
Being able to make health care decisions for ourselves is so important to us, but what happens if you become incapacitated and are unable to voice your opinion?  If you don’t have a health care proxy or guardian in place, state law chooses who can make those...
by Paige Fuoco | Nov 9, 2021 | Estate Planning, Power of Attorney, Trusts, Wills
If a pet owner puts a request in her will that the pet be put to death, should a court respect the request? Not necessarily. In 2012, a Chicago judge reversed a death sentence that had been hanging over Boots the cat for months. The feline’s owner, Georgia Lee...
by Paige Fuoco | Oct 26, 2021 | Estate Planning, Power of Attorney, Trusts, Wills
Many people, especially seniors, see joint ownership as an easy way to avoid probate and plan for incapacity, but there are major drawbacks to joint accounts. When people own property as joint tenants each person has an equal ownership interest in the property. If one...
by Paige Fuoco | Oct 19, 2021 | Estate Planning, Power of Attorney, Trusts, Wills
A durable power of attorney (POA) allows the person creating the POA, called the “principal,” to name a trusted agent who can act on his behalf in almost any situation. But because of the risk of abuse, many banks will scrutinize a POA carefully before...
by Paige Fuoco | Oct 12, 2021 | Estate Planning, Power of Attorney, Wills
If your child has reached the teenage years, you may already feel as though you are losing control of her life. This is legally true once your child reaches the age of 18 because then the state considers your child to be an adult with the legal right to govern his or...
by Paige Fuoco | Oct 5, 2021 | Estate Planning
When two or more individuals own property — whether it’s a condominium, a home, or a piece of land — the relationship between the owners is very important. The form of ownership of the property affects how property is transferred to someone else. It...
