Most of the United States use post-mortem probate. A person’s will is submitted for probate after his or her death. The idea is that after the testator is dead, the will is read and the testator’s estate is distributed in accordance with his wishes. I always thought there should be some procedure to validate a… Read More
In January of 1972, the Court agreed to hear the Estate of Tafel. The children of the decedent, Tafel, were enjoying the income of a trust created in his Will, with the remainder to be distributed to his child’s issue, if any, and if none, the remainder was to be given over to the other… Read More
The question of the rights of inheritance of adopted persons has a long history in this Commonwealth. Until 1855, adoption needed the approval of the state legislature. Then the legislature got out of the adoption business, moving it to the judicial system. The Wills Acts of 1855, 1887, 1889 and 1911 all stated that adopted… Read More
The Uniform Law Commission has released a new proposed act for enactment by the states called the Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (UFADAA). The theory behind the new uniform act is if the fiduciary would have access to a tangible or intangible asset, then the fiduciary will also have access to a similar… Read More
One of my favorite readers told me about a great software program for organizing your passwords and other confidential information and keeping them secure. It’s called Password Plus from DataViz, Inc. and it is available for iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, and Windows and Mac computers. Each user gets a free Samepage account which… Read More
To pick up where we left off, here is part II of this four part series. Provide for Access We are often told never to write down our passwords and to make them secure by choosing ones with letters and numbers and special characters that no one will be able to guess. That is exactly… Read More
You definitely need a plan to share passwords with your executor. If a digital asset is encrypted or protected by a strong password, the asset is effectively lost. Sharing passwords is a start, but it is not enough. You may have multiple e-mail accounts, personal or family websites and blogs, domain names, important records, collections… Read More
Engagement rings have a long history, dating from Roman times and before. An engagement ring indicates that the person wearing it is engaged to be married. Usually, the ring is presented to the bride-to-be as a betrothal gift by a man when she accepts his marriage proposal. Not every engagement results in a marriage. If… Read More
(Part Three of Three) John and Abigail Adams struggled to live within their means for most of their lives. Public service drained their resources because the President was not paid enough in salary and expenses to cover all the receptions at the President’s house, be it in Philadelphia or Washington. However, they did purchase lots… Read More
(Part Two of Three) Didn’t mean to leave you hanging! Here’s where we left off… The Washington’s could truly have used a pre-nuptial agreement, but with one exception, their wills were honored and both branches of the family were treated in proportion to the assets of both parties. George wrote his will himself, taking 42… Read More