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Category: Asset Protection Planning
- How Does the North Carolina Homestead Exemption Protect You From Creditors?
- What to Know When “Gifting” the House
- Planning Gone Wrong: Adding Children to Your Assets
- Protecting Assets for your Kids after Divorce
- Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts in North Carolina
- Trusts for Asset Protection, Not Just Probate Avoidance
- The Slayer Statute: Making Sure Killers Don’t Profit
- Americans Unprepared for Largest Wealth Transfer in History
- Family LLCs for Estate and Asset Protection Planning
- Leave the House to your Executor
- You Get Nothing! Two Ways to Disinherit a Family Member
- What Happens to my Debts When I Die, Part 2: Joint Debts
- What Happens to my Debts When I Die, Part 1: Individual Debts
- Estate Planning Basics, Part 3: Probate and Non-Probate Assets
- What Happens to my Debts When I Die, Part 3: Asset Protection
Category: Business Law
- North Carolina Personal Representatives
- Five Legal Hurdles North Carolina Small Business Owners Will Face and How to Handle Them
- NC Business Purchase Due Diligence: What Are You Really Buying?
- Buying a Business: Why Asset Purchases Are the Key to Success
Category: Business Succession Planning
- Business Succession Planning Checklist for North Carolina Owners [2025 Guide]
- Solopreneurs: Your Business will Die With You
- Taming the B.E.A.S.T.
- Business Owners, Listen Up: 4 Business Succession Tips
- Drama-Free Business Succession Planning
- Intellectual Property in Estate Planning
Category: Digital Estate Planning
- How to Include Digital Assets in Your Estate Plan
- Electronic Wills May Be Coming Soon
- What Happens to My Facebook Account When I Die?
- Apple iCloud Battle Shows Importance of a Digital Legacy Plan
- Planning your Digital Legacy
- Why not use LegalZoom? Here’s why not
Category: Estate Administration
- What Are Surety Bonds and Why Are They Important in Estate Administration?
- Who Can Be Executor If You Have No Family?
- Inventory of a Decedent’s Estate: What Do We Need?
- What Does an Executor Do?
- What If Something Happens to My Executor?
- What Happens if My Executor Dies Before I Do?
- Probate in NC: Qualifying as Executor of the Estate
- Notice to File: What it is and What to do from here
- Can I Appoint an Out-of-State Executor in North Carolina?
- What’s the Difference between an Executor and a Trustee?
- Jose Fernandez and the Unexpected Creditor Claims
- Executor’s Toolbox: Life Insurance Locator Services
- Executor Series, Part 2: What to File and Where to File It
- Executor Series, Part 1: “What the Heck Do I Do Now?”
- 4 Lessons Learned from Prince’s Death
- Be Honest. You Just Don’t Care.
- Heads Up, Executors: 3 Tips to Help Begin Your New Role
- A ‘Love Child’ Could Shake Up Prince’s Estate
- What to Do if You Can’t Find a Lost Will
- Who Should be My Executor?
Category: Estate Planning
- You’ve Been Named Executor—Now What? 4 Essential Steps to Take Next
- Estate Planning Made Simple: 3 Insider Tips to Make It Easier
- Year-End Estate Planning Checklist: 4 Essential Tasks to Secure Your Legacy
- Navigating the Challenges of the Sandwich Generation with Smart Estate Planning
- Creating Your Last Will and Testament: Essential Estate Planning Tips from an Estate Planning Attorney
- Estate Planning with No Heirs- You Still Have Options!
- How to Plan for Second Marriages in Estate Planning
- The Surprising Estate Planning Power of Life Insurance: Tax-Free Wealth, Fast Payouts, and Creditor Protection
- How to Navigate Farm Inheritance: Estate Planning Strategies for North Carolina Families
- Living Will vs. Last Will and Testament: What’s the Real Difference in Estate Planning?
- 3 Essential Estate Planning Strategies to Prevent Family Property Disputes
- 4 Essential Steps to Take Before You Inherit Wealth: A Practical Guide to Preparing for Your Inheritance
- How Can I Remove an Unfit Guardian from Managing My Child’s Affairs?
- Leave Your Home to Loved Ones Without Taxes: What Every North Carolina Homeowner Should Know
- Why Leaving Cash in Your Will Might Backfire (and What to Do Instead)
- What Happens to a Trust If the Trustee Becomes Incapacitated?
- Can My Spouse’s Creditors Come After My Inheritance?
- What Happens to My Estate Plan If I Move to Another State?
- Want to Leave Property to Multiple Heirs in NC? Here’s the Smart Way to Do It
- How Can I Protect My Inheritance from My Ex-Spouse During Divorce?
- How Can I Protect My Assets from a Medicaid Spend-down?
- Three Estate Planning Mistakes Parents Can’t Afford to Make
- How Estate Planning Can Preserve Your Values and Life Lessons
- How Do I Transfer My Deceased Spouse’s Assets Using North Carolina’s Small Estate Process?
- Should I Add My Child to the Deed of My Home to Avoid Probate?
- How to Write a Will When You Have Stepchildren
- How Much Does it Cost to Make an Estate Plan in North Carolina? [2025 Guide]
- How Do I Find Out What Was Left to Me in a Trust?
- How to Prevent Family Feuds Over Your Estate
- How Can I Protect My Assets from Creditors or Lawsuits?
- Can I Disinherit a Family Member? Understanding Your Options and Implications
- What Is a Letter of Instruction and Why Might I Want One? | A Personal Touch to Your Estate Plan
- How Much Money Can You Inherit Without Paying Taxes in North Carolina?
- How Often Should I Update My Estate Plan? Keeping Your Legacy Current
- How to Leave a Legacy for Future Generations: A Guide to Meaningful Estate Planning
- Is a Special Needs Trust Right for Your Loved One?
- How to Get Guardianship of an Adult With Disabilities in North Carolina
- How to Settle an Estate Without a Will in North Carolina
- The Right Way to Set Up a Trust in North Carolina
- Temporary Guardianship: When and Why It Makes Sense
- What Nobody Tells You About Transfer on Death Deeds | 4 Common Problems
- The Ultimate Estate Planning Checklist for Every Age and Stage of Life
- What Are the Spending Rules for Special Needs Trusts?
- What Are the Different Types of Power of Attorney?
- Revocable vs Irrevocable Trust: Which Do I Need in My Estate Plan?
- 9 Signs That It’s Time to Hire an Elder Law Attorney
- How Do Special Needs Trusts Work: A Comprehensive Guide
- Estate Planning for Blended Families: What You Should Know
- What is a Living Trust and How Does it Work?
- How Long Does Probate Take in North Carolina?
- Top 6 Benefits of Using a Trust in Estate Planning
- Who Owns the Property in a Revocable Trust?
- Understanding Siblings’ Rights After the Death of Parents
- Estate Administration: Paying Real Estate Expenses After Death
- Inventory of a Decedent’s Estate: What Happens After It’s Filed?
- Can You Decline an Inheritance?
- Estate Administration: How Executors & Personal Representatives Get Paid
- How Much Does an Estate Have to Be Worth to Go to Probate?
- Do You Need Estate Planning in Your 30s?
- Long Term Care Options: Making The Decision That’s Best For You
- 5 Estate Planning Tips to Make Sure Your Family Is Protected
- Does A Trust Avoid Probate In North Carolina?
- Cary Estate Planning Lawyer Paul Yokabitus Says an Estate Plan is a Spring Cleaning List Must Have
- How the Medicaid Snapshot Date Is Determined in North Carolina
- Before You Set Up a Trust in North Carolina, You Need to Know These 3 Critical Things
- What Is an Estate Plan? How Does It Protect You in North Carolina?
- North Carolina Estate Planning Checklist
- The 3 Most Common Types of Trusts: Which Do You Need?
- Will vs Trust: What Does Your Estate Plan Need?
- When is a Good Time to Start Estate Planning?
- Can Children Seek Guardianship Over Their Parents if They are Unable to Take Care of Themselves?
- Can A Revocable Trust Be Changed?
- What is the Best Way to Ensure My Children Inherit My Home?
- How Has COVID-19 Affected the Need for Estate Planning?
- Estate Tax Planning for High Net Worth “Limbo” Families
- North Carolina Small Estates: Not Every Estate Has to be Probated
- The “90-Day Inventory”: Inventory For Decedent’s Estate (AOC-E-505)
- Does My Will Control My Retirement Accounts?
- Estate Planning: Even the Best Laid Plans Can Fail
- The Danger of Dabbling (with Estate Planning)
- The 4 D’s of Reviewing Your Estate Plan
- Where Should I Keep My Estate Planning Documents?
- Estate Planning for Spouses in North Carolina: A Primer
- Estate Planning for Addicted Beneficiaries
- Estate Planning for the (North Carolina) House
- Estate Planning in North Carolina: Do I Need a Will or a Trust?
- Estate Planning for your High School Graduate
- Married without Kids? You Still Need to Plan
- Equal is Not Always Fair
- Even With an Estate Tax Repeal, Planning May Not Change
- Capital Gains Tax Planning: Gift Versus Inheritance
- Why People Procrastinate Making Wills
- Sometimes Children Die First
- Need a Resolution? How About Creating an Estate Plan?
- Without Estate Tax, What’s the Point of Estate Planning?
- Late Night Emails to an Estate Planning Attorney
- No Escheats, Please: Charitable Giving as a Last Resort
- Estate Tax Planning for an Uncertain Future
- Two Lessons Learned from David Bowie’s Estate Plan
- Why You Need an “Income Book” and 5 Things to Include in it
- Lamar Odom and Estate Planning During Divorce
- Adoption and Inheritance Rights
- Your Kids Aren’t Protected! Here are 5 Ways to Protect Your Kids, NOW
- Avoiding Disputes Among Heirs
- Where do I keep my Estate Plan?
- Leave a Legacy
Category: Estate Planning Law Updates
- Federal Estate Tax Exemption for 2018
- Tax Reform 2017: What Can We Expect?
- Estate Tax Exemption for Estates in North Carolina – 2018 Update
- Trump Rolls Back Fiduciary Rule
- Proposed Medicaid Changes Could Have Significant Impact
- New Tax Proposal May Change Charitable Contributions to Colleges
- Special Needs Trust Fairness Act is Now Law
- Will We Say “So Long” to Stretch IRA’s?
- LLC’s For Everyone: Trump’s Plan for Flow-Through Taxation
- An Uncertain Future: Trump’s Plan for Estate and Gift Taxes
- 2016 Estate and Gift Tax Exclusion Amount is Set
Category: Estate Tax
- Giving Now: A Gift Tax Primer
Category: Financial Planning
- What Happens to Crypto When You Die?
- Who is Responsible for a Car Loan After Death in North Carolina?
- How a Spendthrift Clause Protects Your Heirs from Bad Debt & Bad Decisions in North Carolina
- Financial Fiduciaries: What’s the Difference?
- Applying for Medicaid Too Late or Too Early
- Medicaid Long Term Care: Exempt Transfers
- Medicaid Long-Term Care Eligibility and Your Home
- Medicaid Spend Down Planning in North Carolina
Category: Guardianship
- What Happens to a Child if Both Parents Die?
- Exploring Different Types of Guardianship for Adults: A Comprehensive Guide
- What Happens if a General Guardian Changes Their Mind?
- Standby Guardian Planning: Protection for your Kids
Category: Life Insurance
- Does My Will Control My Life Insurance?
- Divorce and Life Insurance
- 3 Ways to Spot a Bad Life Insurance Agent
- Life Insurance: How Are the Proceeds Taxed?
- Life Insurance Payouts: 3 Things to Know Today
- How to Make a Claim for Life Insurance
- High Lapse Rate: Watch out for Long-Term Care Insurance
Category: Medicaid Planning
- Protecting Your Assets From Medicaid: Top Strategies for North Carolina Estate Planning
- Proactive Medicaid Planning in 2025: What North Carolina Residents Need to Know
- How to Avoid a Nursing Home Taking Your House
- What Is the Medicaid Look-Back Period in North Carolina?
- What Does Medicaid Cover? Planning for Future Expenses
- How To Qualify For Medicaid: The Requirements You Need To Understand
Category: Power of Attorney
- How to Change a Power of Attorney in North Carolina
- Understanding the Limits of Power of Attorney in Estate Planning
- 8 Reasons to Consider a Power of Attorney Before Guardianship
- Spelling Out Your Medical Wishes Clearly: Living Will vs POA
- Probate Timeline: How Long Do You Have to File Probate After Death?
- Who Can Override a Power of Attorney (POA): Understanding the Key Factors
- How to Get Power of Attorney for Someone Who is Incapacitated
- Should I Establish a Power of Attorney in Case I Get COVID?
- Estate Planning Basics, Part 5: Durable Powers of Attorney
Category: Probate
- How to Get Letters Testamentary in Wake County Probate Court
- Can a Beneficiary Be Removed From a Will?
- North Carolina Probate 101: How Executors and Administrators Open an Estate
- What Happens if My Parent Dies and the Car Is in Their Name?
- Can You Sell a Deceased Person’s Car Without Probate in North Carolina? | Guide from Cary Estate Planning
- What Should I Do If I Receive a Check Made Out to the Deceased?
- What Happens if an Executor Cannot Serve in the Middle of Probate?
- How to Execute a Will After Death in North Carolina
- What to Do When Someone Dies and Leaves a Will in North Carolina
- What Happens in Probate Court: A Guide to the Probate Process
- How Much Does Probate Cost? A Complete Guide
- The Shocking Reality of What Happens to Personal Belongings After Death Without a Will
- Do 401Ks and Retirement Accounts Need to Go Through Probate?
- Can An Executor Pay Bills Before Probate In North Carolina?
- What is Probate? 5 Things You Need to Know in Order to Be Prepared
- How Can I Avoid Probate?
- Does My Will Avoid Probate?
- Avoiding Probate in North Carolina
- Prince and the Publicity of Probate
- Broken Heart Deaths and the Probate Nightmare
- I Made a Living Trust: Now What? A Primer on Re-Titling Assets for Probate Avoidance
- Can I Avoid Probate with Joint Ownership?
Category: Retirement
- How Your Retirement Can Impact Your Child’s SSI and Medicaid Benefits
- Medicare and Nursing Home Care in North Carolina
- What is the Difference between Medicaid and Medicare?
- Estate Planning: 4 Factors for Deciding Who Should Get What
- Should I Have a Trust as my IRA Beneficiary?
- The Most Common Estate Planning Mistake
- 5 Year-End Retirement Planning Tips
- Retirement Account Planning: Inherited IRA Mistakes
Category: Special Needs Planning
- Special Needs Planning without Special Needs Trusts
- Eliminating the Biggest Downside of Special Needs Trusts: Income Tax
- NC Special Needs Trust Distributions: In-Kind Support and Maintenance
- Special Needs Trusts: Distribution and Income Rules
- Special Needs Planning: ABLE Accounts vs. Special Needs Trusts
- Special Needs Trust: Planning for the Support of a Child with Disabilities
Category: Trusts
- How Can I Use a Dynasty Trust to Pass Wealth to Future Generations?
- Should You Open a Separate Bank Account for Your Trust?
- The Biggest Mistake Parents Make When Setting Up a Trust Fund
- How to Set Up a Trust Fund for a Child
- Can A Special Needs Trust Be Revocable?
- Can I Amend My Will or Trust in North Carolina?
- No-Contest Provisions in Wills and Trusts
- Changing an Irrevocable Trust in North Carolina
- Safety First: The Importance and Utility of Gun Trusts
- Do I Need an Estate Planning Attorney?
- Is it Time to Stop Splitting Trusts?
- Why Use a Trust? Because 1/3 of Beneficiaries Blow Their Inheritance
- How to Choose a Trustee
- Estate Planning Basics, Part 4: Revocable (Living) Trusts
- Incentive Trusts: Rewarding Good Behavior
- Estate Planning Basics, Part 6: Irrevocable Trusts
Category: Uncategorized
- What Should I Expect When I Hire an Elder Law Attorney?
- 4 Ways to Make Sure Your Parents Don’t Go Broke in the Nursing Home (and Why It Matters)
- How Long is the Process of Writing a Will?
- How Difficult is it to Change my Will after it is Finalized?
- Can I Put A Car Title In A Revocable Trust?
- Does A Married Couple Need Estate Planning?
- What Happens if my Chosen Executor is Unwilling?
- How Many Executors Should I Name?
- What Happens to My Kids if Something Happens to Me?
- “I’m Young and Just Got Married. What Planning Do I Need?”
- George Michael and the Perils of Not Planning
- Anderson Cooper and the Reality of Disinheriting Family Members
- You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
- Millennial Affairs: 4 Ways to Plan in your 20’s
- Conflicts of Interest in Planning: 4 Ways to Make Sure Your Plan is Best for You, Not Just Your Broker
- How Parents Can Help Adult Children: Making Lifetime Gifts
- Estate Planning for Millennials
- What Happens when You Die with a Mortgage?
- When Should I Revisit My Estate Plan?
Category: Video
Category: Wills
- How to Get a Copy of a Will in Wake County Probate Court
- Can You Add Conditions to a Will?
- When a Parent Dies, Who Gets the House in North Carolina?
- Letters of Testamentary: What Are They and Why Do I Need Them?
- 5 Reasons Why You Should NEVER Make a Will Without an Attorney
- What Is The Difference Between A Will And A Living Will?
- Can You Remove Yourself From A Will?
- Where Should I Keep my Finalized Will and Who Should Know Where It Is?
- The Importance of a Living Will (Advanced Directive)
- What Does My Will Control?
- When is the Right Time to Get a Will?
- Is a Will Valid if it’s Not Witnessed?
- Does a Will Have to Be Notarized?
- Why Do I Need a North Carolina Will?
- What’s the Difference between a Will and a Living Will?
- What Happens if a Spouse Dies Without a Will in NC?
- Family Fighting: Will Caveats and How to Avoid Them
- Planning Around Divorce and Remarriage: 3 Steps You Need to Take
- Once Again: Celebrity Dies Without a Will
- Lagging Behind: 72% of Americans Do Not Have an Up-to-Date Will
- Prince’s Death Causes Surge in DIY Wills
- Not Just Prince: 10 Other Celebrities Who Died Without a Will
- Majority of Americans STILL Don’t Have a Will
- Why the Government Will Get Over Half of Prince’s Estate
- Respecting Your Wishes: 4 Ways to Make Sure Your Funeral or Cremation Plans Are Followed
- How Much Do I Need to Make Before I Need a Will?
- Can I Amend My Own Will?
- Estate Planning Basics, Part 1: Dying Without a Will
- Estate Planning Basics, Part 2: Wills

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