What Duck Dynasty Can Teach Us About Business Succession Planning

A&E

I have to admit, I love the A&E reality series “Duck Dynasty.” Apparently a lot of other people like it, too. So much so, in fact, that the show’s April 24 finale beat Fox’s sagging American Idol in the coveted 18-49 demographic. Who would have thought a bunch of self-professed redneck millionaires would be responsible [...]

Protecting Your Digital Assets With Google’s Inactive Account Manager

Access Button Over Map Showing Permission And Security

For those keeping score at home, add Google to the list of those in tune with the intersection of technology and estate planning. If you haven’t already heard, Google announced a new feature last week that lets account holders choose settings for how they want their digital assets handled when they die. The feature, called [...]

How To Probate A Small Estate

Empty pockets

Having an estate plan is all well and good, and really should be part of every person’s “things to do when I grow up” list. Even if you’re not worth millions of dollars, if you’ve got kids, a home, investments, bank accounts, have been married and remarried, cohabitate with your partner – or any number [...]

I Beg You: Please Don’t Leave Me An Inheritance

Rejection

In estate planning and probate law, it’s common to hear people ask questions like “How do I find out if I have an inheritance?” or “How can I find out if my father left me anything in his will?” Less common, I suspect, is “Do I have to accept an inheritance?” or “How can I [...]

How to Plan for a Social Media Afterlife: Tools for Zombies

Social media and digital assets

In a sign of the digital times, the explosion of social media participation is prompting states to update their probate laws in an attempt to keep up with technology. To that end, more and more states are grappling with laws giving executors and personal representatives authority to access the social media accounts of deceased loved [...]