Very often, clients tell us that they wish they hadn’t waited so long to start the estate planning process. It can seem scary or overwhelming, and there are a lot of reasons people put it off. One of the most common is that people want to wait until they have achieved certain financial goals before meeting with an attorney. These goals may include buying a home or earning a certain amount of money, but one we hear Read More
What are we always talking about on this blog? Having an estate plan, right? But, just having a plan in place isn’t always enough. For that plan to work properly when you need it, it needs to be comprehensive, carefully drafted, and thoroughly reviewed. Your goals need to be thoughtfully laid out, and then the plan needs to take advantage of every law available to you to create the result you want. Of course, this Read More
You may have heard this shocking statistic circulating lately -- 70% of families lose their wealth within two generations (and 90% lose it by the third!). This may seem pretty shocking, but there are some pretty compelling reasons why the rate of wealth loss is so steep. How Do Families Lose Generational Wealth So Quickly? There have been a number of surveys conducted looking into the reasons behind these Read More
You have probably heard the term “Advance Medical Directive” before. You may even have heard it here, on The Tyra Law Firm blog. But, do you fully understand what’s included in an Advance Medical Directive? Are you clear on why you need one now, regardless of your family structure, accumulated wealth, property ownership, employment status, or any other reason? If not, we would like to take a little time to walk Read More
“In a world of diminishing mystery, the unknown persists.” -Jhumpa Lahiri Every few weeks, I take a moment to reflect on the deeper meaning of my work. I do this to check in with myself and to realign my firm’s mission with the needs of my clients. Whenever I do so, I think of the unknown. As an estate planning attorney, I spend time with families as they contemplate the future. The future, as we know all Read More
Hi there, Tyra Law Firm fans! Each week, I get questions in my inbox or in my client consultations about estate planning and how it works. Very often, these questions are the foundations of the blog posts and e-newsletters I write. This week, I wanted to draw particular attention to a question I have received a lot lately. If this question is relevant to you, or if you have any other questions about your estate plan, Read More
There are few good things about tax season. Sure, occasionally you might find yourself on the good side of a refund. Or you might get the chance to clear out your jam-packed receipt drawer. But other than that, tax season is pretty much a drag. On top of everything else going on in your life, you have to find time to gather the paperwork from every corner of your house (and office, car, bags, laundry basket…), get it Read More
A question that I often get is about how to prepare for putting together an estate plan. I know that the thought of “getting organized” can be daunting. Take a look at this simple checklist I put together. Remember, you do not need to gather every document on this list before starting on your estate plan. Instead, simply get yourself a binder, make tabs for each of the items on this list, and then slowly start Read More
In my years of working as an attorney, I’ve seen every type of client imaginable. Truth be told, there isn’t much that can surprise me anymore. On the contrary, I typically see the same basic personality types again and again in my estate planning practice. That’s not to say that these clients are all the same. In fact, that’s one of the paradoxes of estate planning: while clients tend to come to me with one of the Read More
As our parents age, it can be painful to realize that they are no longer able to do everything for themselves. Whether they need some help driving, performing household chores, or caring for their finances, it is important to recognize when the elders in your life need help. Of course, recognizing the problem and convincing them to let you help can be very different. Although it can be hard, it is incredibly Read More
