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Inheritance Without Planning Means No Adding to the Default Plan
 
When a person dies intestate (without making and leaving a will), each state provides a default plan (usually known as the statute of descent and distribution) under with his or her net estate is disposed. When a person dies intestate, there is no adding to the default plan. The default plan is the only plan. This article discusses the disadvantages of descent and distribution related to the inability to add to the default plan.More...
 
Living Wills -- Life-Prolonging Procedures
 
Your healthcare decisions are likely to be influenced by many factors, including your medical history, your knowledge of other people's experiences, or your religious beliefs. While putting together your living will, you should become familiar with the kinds of medical procedures that are most commonly administered to patients who are seriously ill. Of course, the types of medical procedures that are available change as time passes. Additionally, the treatments that are available vary by region, depending on the sophistication and financing of medical facilities. More...
 
Codicils
 
In Latin, the word "codicil" means "little will. A codicil is a formal document that amends the provisions of a will. The amendments may change, modify, or supplement the provisions of a will.More...
 
Inheritance Issues -- Widow's Allowances
 
Every state has laws that offer some protection for the welfare of a surviving spouse and, to a lesser extent, minor children of the deceased in cases where the deceased did not provide for them in his or her will or where the family requires financial assistance while the estate is being settled. For the most part, these provisions favor the surviving spouse, and amounts allowed for the care of minor children, surprising as it may seem, are usually quite limited. A minor child has no right to sue the estate of a parent for support, despite the fact that the parent had the legal obligation to support the child while the parent was alive. Most states, however, do provide shelter, at least, for the minor child for a period after the parent's death.More...
 
Trust Apportionment
 
When a trustee receives a distribution, it can be difficult to determine whether he should pay it to the beneficiary or add it to the "corpus" (the trust property). More...