Scriber Law Group, LLC.

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The Biggest Estate Planning Pitfalls

At a meeting of Georgia estate planners recently, everyone was advised that many things had to change because of tax law and demographic changes in recent years, if the goal was to pass on as much wealth as possible to the next generation. And since that is almost always the goal, well, that means some changes.   For one thing, with the high estate-tax exemption, passing money to the next generation tax-free is less of a focus than ever before. However, that doesn't mean you don't need a plan. In fact, it means you need a plan more than ever, because the… Read More

Planning Your Digital Estate

It may seem difficult to believe now, but it wasn't all that long ago that everything we had was where we could access it; the garage, a hall closet, the trunk of our car, a storage unit, or even a safety deposit box at our local bank. Between bank statements, receipts and unpaid bills, we always left a paper trail, so almost anything could be found and all unfinished business could be discovered and handled.    These days, however, more and more of our lives are conducted online, and that paper trail is less clear-cut, mostly because it's not paper.… Read More

The Case Against DIY Estates

One thing you can say about the people of Georgia, including Atlanta. We really love doing things ourselves, especially when it comes to personal financial matters. And thanks to the Internet, the answers to many questions are literally at our fingertips. Unfortunately, the do-it-yourself trend is not well-suited to setting up an estate plan. There are many reasons for this, but the biggest one has to be that, when it comes time to matter, it's too late to fix any mistakes. When considering an estate plan, the best course of action is to seek out qualified professionals to help you… Read More

Procrastination is not an Option

When you woke up this morning, did you think about dying, and what might happen after? If you didn't, don't feel bad; most people don't. Most of us don't start thinking about death until someone else dies, especially if it's someone our age or younger, and it hits us; we're mortal. Death is going to happen to us sooner or later. But then, the feeling passes and we get back to not thinking about it anymore. And now you know why most people don't plan for their estate. According to statistics, fewer than half of Americans have even a simple… Read More

Think Differently About Life Insurance

While most estate plans take into account life insurance as an element, too often, the multigenerational elements of life insurance are too often overlooked as a crucial asset. Usually, a life insurance policy is taken out on the patriarch of an estate and it is used to create a death benefit that is either earmarked for the estate or one specific beneficiary.   That is starting to be seen as somewhat shortsighted, and many estate planners are recommending that those planning an estate go a little farther and take out policies on children and grandchildren. While many may see such… Read More

You’re Never Too Young to Plan

It's not at all unusual to see clients come into our practice who are in 40s or 50s and a little spooked after someone dies who is roughly the same age. Suddenly, they begin to takes the idea of estate planning a little more seriously than they did in their 20s and 30s, when they didn't believe they were going to die anytime soon.   But the thing is, it's never too early to begin estate planning. Even a 22-year-old who just graduated college and started a new job should consider one, even if it's no more than a relatively… Read More

Business Owners Need Up-to-Date Estate Plans

Business owners are always looking for an edge in everything they do, especially when it comes to avoiding taxes to the extent possible. Because there are estate and gift taxes to consider, among other things, one would think that all business owners would be interested in estate planning. However, they're really not, apparently. Well, not all of them, anyway. A recent survey showed that about 30 percent of business owners had any kind of an estate plan, even something as simple as a will. Despite their willingness to dive into the murky waters of business, most of those who choose… Read More

Estate Planning for Blended Families, Part II

In Part I, we discussed why you should speak to an estate planner as early as possible when you decide to get married a second time, preferably before you do so. Failure to do so could actually result in adding even more stress to your family than they will already feel after you pass on. In Part II, we will get into the ways an estate planning lawyer can protect everyone in your family, especially the children from your previous marriage. We'll start with trusts. Trusts are a great way to transfer money and property to loved ones, especially if… Read More

Estate Planning for Blended Families, Part I

There could very well be nothing more satisfying when it comes to estate planning than getting it right when it comes to blended families. There are a number of complicated issues to work out if you want to take care of your second (or third) spouse and the children, as well as any children you may have from your previous relationship.   One thing is for sure; letting them all battle it out after you're gone can not be a serious option. That is an invitation to disaster, to say the least. If you have ever been through a divorce, you know… Read More

Everyone Planning an Estate Should Know These

We've dealt with these terms before on this blog, but it never hurts to conduct a refresher now and then. The following are terms that are commonly used, and we want to make sure you know what they are.   The estate-tax exemption   This is the amount you can leave to your heirs without incurring any federal estate tax. For 2015, the limit is $5.43 million. If you have a spouse, both of you are entitled to this exemption, each. Not only that, but if one spouse dies, any amount of that exemption that hasn't been used rolls over… Read More