Have you ever said or overheard someone else say I do not need a Will, Power of Attorney or Advance Care Directive? By not engaging in estate planning you are allowing laws enacted by the legislature to make your decisions.
Almost every estate must go through probate. It is potentially a very complicated legal process, and an attorney should be involved in any estate planning activities.
Disasters cannot be predicted but, they occur in everyday life. The question you must ask yourself is, are your affairs in order should you experience a disastrous event?
This article specifically addresses the Pros and Cons of accounts that are titled ‘Joint Tenant with Rights of Survivorship’, (JTWROS). An account, titled in two or more persons’ names that have rights of survivorship, is jointly owned by those individuals.
There is a common misconception that all real and personal property will pass through an individual’s estate upon his or her death. Though, some assets avoid the probate process altogether depending on how the property is titled.