In looking for legal representation, you generally have two options: either an attorney who specializes in one area of the law or a general practitioner. With a specialized attorney, you may get more expertise on the subject but with a general practitioner, such as the Law Offices of Ian S. Topf, APC, you can get […]
Are you facing a legal issue and hesitating at the idea of retaining an attorney? Everyone knows that hiring an attorney can be expensive, overwhelming, and stressful. However, some people have a legal resource they either forgot about or didn’t even know they had in the first place, which can take much of the apprehension […]
Here we go again… another year has passed and with it come life events that may have affected your estate plan, if you have one. The overwhelming truth is that far too many people don’t plan ahead and if they at one time did have the wherewithal to do so, they forget to update as […]
Comprehensive estate planning not only provides instructions for others to follow up on a person’s death but also for times when a person is alive but not “available,” due to some form of medical incapacity. That’s why one of the key elements in any effective estate plan is a document called an Advance Health Care […]
In a recent blog post, I discussed the pros and cons of choosing to represent yourself in court actions, rather than hiring an attorney to handle your matter. In such legal areas as civil litigation, family law, bankruptcy, small claims, traffic court, etc., there are times when you can act effectively on your own behalf […]
When people come to me seeking advice and assistance on estate planning, it’s generally because they want to make sure their loved ones avoid the expensive and time-consuming process of probate. Horror stories around this issue occur all the time. Here’s just one: Barry, a retired surgeon with a large estate (including a house, many […]
Generally speaking, people own two kinds of real estate – a primary residence and/or investment property (residential rental, commercial real estate, etc.). So when the time comes to design an estate plan, the natural question is: Should I put my house or investment property in my living trust? There are several factors to consider before […]
At some point in our lives, many of us will need to create an estate plan to manage our assets—including property, financial holdings, personal belongings—not just for our lifetimes, but for our loved ones after we’re gone. For the most part, there are three types of trust you may want to consider in your estate […]
When two people fall in love and decide to get married, they don’t want to consider the possibility that at some time in the future they may no longer feel the same way about each other – and that the experience of separation and divorce might turn ugly over issues of community assets and debt […]
It’s more than half way through the year so this is a great time to take care of some essential legal planning responsibilities – and you’ll feel much better when you do. Estate planning Many people mistakenly think of an estate plan as something that matters only when they die, but there’s really much more […]