March 7, 2010
By Sabrina Winters
I received a wonderful letter the other day from Marcia Lampert, the Director at the Presbyterian Buddy Kemp Caring House in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Cancer Center was referred to me by the North Carolina Bar to speak to their community regarding end of life planning.
It is hard to deal with our own incapacity and death when we are well, but there were many in the room battling cancer and truly needed for me to guide them in something they felt they had some form of control over. It was humbling for me to see people (there was standing room only!) who were exhausted from chemotherapy or in remission, but made it to a 6:30 p.m. event (to listen to me none the less!) because they knew how important it was. These people are no different than you and me, except that they have a sense of urgency because life has dealt them a challenge.
Read the full letter here along with other client and colleague testimonials.
March 2, 2010
By Sabrina Winters
I am proud to announce that the Firm of Sabrina Winters, Attorney at Law, PLLC is now assisting wartime veterans and surviving spouses of deceased wartime veterans in receiving a special monthly pension benefit called Aid an Attendance. This is not a new program. Too many veterans are unaware that they may be entitled to it.
The Aid and Attendance may be available to wartime veterans and surviving spouses who have in-home care or who live in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. This benefit allows many to enjoy a higher quality of life when their cared needs have increased. Benefits range from $1,056 to $2,540 per month.
The Veteran must meet both Asset and Income requirements according to the Veterans Administration Rules and Regulations. However, if the Veteran exceeds these limits, there are carefully structured trusts that can be used to allow him or her to become eligible.
I welcome Veterans who are residents of North Carolina as well as their family members to contact our office with any questions so that we many provide you with the information necessary to understand the VA benefit and the application process.
March 1, 2010
By Sabrina Winters
Often times Life Insurance can add more value to an Estate Plan than you think. If the estate is small, Life Insurance can provide significant liquid assets at a relatively low cost. This often times is a strategy used to provide a guaranteed specific amount of assets for children.
March 1, 2010
By Trusts EstatesProf
As Tiger Woods attempts to salvage his marriage, the Trust Advisor Blogs suggests that in the meantime he consider putting his assets into an asset protection trust. Because Tiger lives in Florida, a non-community property state, he could likely fund…
February 21, 2010
By Sabrina Winters
If you are a young couple still planning on growing your family, do not let that be the reason that holds you back from having an estate plan today. The Estate Plans drafted for my clients include a simple statement that includes any after-born children. What this means is, that if you have two children today and in five years you have an additional child, that child will be included in any planning that you have put into place…just as if they were alive when you created your plans.
January 19, 2010
By Sabrina Winters
There are many misconceptions about North Carolina estate planning and what it entails. You should be building your estate plan with the best interests of your family in mind. Sound legal advice should guide you with regards to the estate plan that is best for you, not myths and misunderstandings.
I have listed 3 of the most common (I believe) myths about North Carolina Estate planning below.
1. I don’t think I need a will or a trust because my wife or husband will get what I have. North Carolina has statutes in place that will divide your property at your death if you do not have a will or trust in place. How your property is divided depends on who is alive at the time of your death. Your estate could potentially be shared with your spouse, children and parents…it may not necessarily all go to your spouse. The best thing to do is to plan out the distribution of your estate ahead of time through a will or a trust so that your wishes are upheld.
2. Having a will eliminates the need for a probate proceeding. Probate is the process which allows for the distribution of your assets.In actuality, having a will gives the court the ability to supervise your estate distribution. This supervision occurs through the probate process. The one way in which to avoid a probate is to have a trust. Your best bet is to go over your options with an attorney.
3. I’m not going anywhere for awhile, all this stuff can wait. We never know what life is going to bring our way. It’s better to be prepared and plan for the benefit of your family and loved ones. In difficult times, you don’t want your thoughts to be consumed with worrying about what happens to your family.
Did you know that without a will or trust you cannot protect the assets you live your children past the age of 18? The lack of planning will more than likely mean that your 18 year old could potentially have a significant amount of money available to him without any restrictions. It’s best to speak with a North Carolina estate planning attorney to address these issues sooner rather than later.
Take the initiative to address your estate plan with a North Carolina estate planning attorney. Getting your affairs in order is a “gift of love” for both yourself and your family.
November 13, 2009
By Trusts EstatesProf
On Nov. 5, 2009, Representative Kenny Marchant (R-TX) introduced H.R. 4035, which would “amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the estate of a decedent to use the capital loss carryover of the decedent as a deduction against…
