| Disposing Dead Bodies |
| The dead bodies of human beings are not property. The dead bodies of human beings are not disposed of by a state's statute of descent and distribution. If a person does not leave directions in a will or other document for the disposition of his or her dead body, his or her dead body is usually disposed of as provided by local custom. More... |
| Nominee Trusts |
| The trust is probably the most flexible document in the estate planner's book. There are several special purpose trusts designed and drafted to accommodate special situations or objectives. Keep in mind that the special purpose trusts, as with all trusts, will have one or more trustees, with a mechanism for trustee replacement; one or more beneficiaries, with provisions covering all possible changes, such as death, disability, etc.; a corpus or assets transferred to the trustee; and provisions covering the management and disposition of those assets in all circumstances, up to the termination of the trust.More... |
| Probate -- Overview |
| In a civilized society, a legal mechanism for dealing with a deceased person's property is essential. Think of the chaos that would result if, when someone died, the law allowed anyone free access to take all or any part of the deceased person's property on a "first come" basis. Instead, we have developed a system that protects and sometimes directs the distribution of property on a persons death. Our laws recognize that some order must be maintained in the situation and so they provide, among other things, for what is called the right of "freedom of testation" and a legal process to deal with those estates that have exercised that right, as well as those that have not.More... |
| The Natural Objects of One's Bounty - III |
| This article is the third part of a three-part series describing the traditional names for the various members of one's family.More... |
| What is a Trust? |
| A trust is related to "trust" in the ordinary sense of relying on another. A trust is a formal arrangement for property management, in the manner of an owner, by another. The management of the property is according to the original owner's directions.More... |
W.K. Lally, P.A.
