202012.23
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Include digital assets in your estate plan

Digital assets are simply defined as content that is stored digitally. Some common types of digital assets include photos, music, videos, power point presentations, Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, logos and other branded graphics, audio files, PDF’s, and access codes to bank accounts, credit card accounts, investments, and the like. For some, these assets comprise a…

202011.30
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Who decides what happens to your human remains?

“Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, 1789. Benjamin Franklin was correct. Death is inevitable for all of us. As a result, each Missourian should…

202007.22
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Guns and Missouri seniors

In the wake of a recent, controversial event occurring in St. Louis, Missouri involving attorneys Mark McCloskey and his wife Patricia McCloskey, who displayed guns in an attempt to protect their home and lives from trespass and harm, this article does not seek to express a political position on gun ownership and possession. Instead, it…

What seniors should know about probate
201911.15
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What seniors should know about probate

“Where there’s a Will, there are 500 relatives” is a humorous take on the less desirable probate outcome for many Americans. But probate itself is not your enemy. Sometimes it can be a benefit. For example, the following instances often benefit from a court administering a decedent’s estate in probate: (1) family members and other…

201810.01
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Seniors are Filing Bankruptcy at an Alarming Rate

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, our golden years are defined as “the advanced years in a lifetime” or “the time of life after retirement from active work.”  For a select few seniors, the golden years are a time of wealth and relaxation with grandchildren or other loved ones after saving diligently to enjoy the wonderful…

201808.15
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Why Create a Durable Power of Attorney for Financial Decisions?

The Missouri Durable Power of Attorney Law is set forth in Chapter 404.700 through 404.735 of the Missouri Revised Statutes.  A power of attorney is a legal document wherein you voluntarily, and with informed consent, and in the presence of witnesses, give another person powers to address your property and finances.  Although you may select multiple parties to…

201804.23
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Do Older Adults Have Too Many Possessions?

“Your peers will respect you for your integrity and character, not your possessions.”  David Robinson  But if possessions are temporary and do not reflect the character of man, why are so many older Americans swimming in them?  The overabundance of personal property is troubling when you consider many older adults live on limited or fixed…

Estate Planning for Unmarried, Cohabitating Couples
201801.25
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Estate Planning for Unmarried, Cohabitating Couples

This article assumes some of its interested readers are seniors who have decided to forego matrimonial bliss; the public act of “leaving and cleaving” as detailed in Genesis 2:24: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to this wife, and they shall become one flesh.”  According to Sandra Block, Senior…

201801.02
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Durable Power of Attorney v. Springing Power of Attorney

A power of attorney (POA) is “a written document in which one person (the principal) appoints another person to act as an agent on his or her behalf, thus conferring authority on the agent to perform certain acts or functions on behalf of the principal” according to The Free Dictionary by Farlex.  Powers of attorney…

201711.09
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Estate Planning for Non-Traditional Families

The 2010 Census revealed that the traditional nuclear family, a family with married, heterosexual parents and two children, has disappeared at an alarming rate. What a drastic change from just sixty years ago when shows like “Father Knows Best” reflected family values where the male was the figurehead and the wife and kids supported him…