It’s like an epidemic. I receive phone calls in my law office every day from people in estate disputes. Let me give you seven factors that explain the growth of estate lawsuits. This is the new world we live in. 1. The Internet Spreads Information like a…
Read full article
Are you struggling to choose an executor for your estate? Executors handle an estate to fulfill the last wishes of a friend or relative. They are unprepared to handle tax and estate laws, creditors, co-executors and the courts. Lawsuits against executors are becoming common, and they need…
Read full article
When a client calls and makes this request, what do you say? Giving your client an executor checklist is of limited benefit. It is also a tactical mistake. What your client really needs is a strategy to help them. That’s why I wrote Executor Kung Fu: Master…
Read full article
I am going to talk to you about money. Money is what people fight over. Sure, they may use other excuses, but what everything boils down to is money or what it represents. My perspective, as a lawyer, is different. I do estate planning but also help…
Read full article
Key 7: Take Action Now John and Jillian, both in their 30s, were going on vacation. They were leaving behind Heather, their five-year old daughter, for the first time. Suddenly they realized that they had no will, guardian, or trust set up for their daughter. They needed…
Read full article
Key 4: Choose Executors to Handle Your Estate Imagine you have a daughter, Ann, an accountant, who lives far away on the west coast. You have another child, Bob, still living at home with you. Who should be the executor to guard your estate? Should it be…
Read full article
Question: As executor of a parent’s estate, do you need insurance to protect you? James Daw’s Toronto Star article at moneyville.ca suggests one answer is ERAssure.com. I’ll give you more info to consider. But you must check out this company’s site. It’s a marketer’s dream. Study it…
Read full article
Any breach of executor’s duty can result in a charge of misconduct against them. Here’s a short list to remind you of possible executor breaches of fiduciary duty: • financial negligence handling estate assets causing loss • failure to properly invest estate assets • failure to complete…
Read full article
“Compensation for your time and trouble” is what the law calls your fee as estate executor. You can probably figure your time is productively worth $150 or $200 an hour back in the office. You need that to cover your overhead. Well, you won’t get paid by…
Read full article
If you are a professional advisor, you must say “No” to any client who wants you to be their executor. There are many reasons for this. I will cover them in the next couple of posts. You may not know what dangers lie ahead. You may not…
Read full article
416 769 - 9800