As a new parent, you want to do everything in your power to provide a good future for your child. If you have an estate plan or in the process of estate planning, one thing you may look to do is set up a trust for your new baby. Often referred to as a trust fund, this type of planning is not …
Getting out of an unhealthy relationship can be challenging and leave you wondering if your life will ever be quite the same. Then, you meet someone special and begin to enjoy a new, exciting and rewarding relationship. However, with this adventure comes a new set of challenges as your significant other has children of their own. Now, your mind begins …
If you have recently gotten into a relationship with someone who has children from a previous relationship, you may have already started to think about your role as a step-parent. Building an effective and trustworthy relationship with a child who is not your own by blood can be challenging and even discouraging at times. At Fidelis Law, PLLC, we have …
If you are the parent of young children, you may have already begun thinking about who you would want to care for them if something tragic would ever happen to you. Planning ahead for these types of situations, even if a bit unsettling at times, is certain to provide confidence that if you were ever debilitated in some way, your …
More than 1.5 million American adults are under the care of guardians, who have broad jurisdiction to make financial and medical decisions on behalf of their wards. For the most part, guardians act responsibly. They are family members or professionals who, out of a sense of duty, care for individuals who are too vulnerable or ill to care for themselves. …
Updating your will is a critical part of the estate planning process. Step one is to have a Last Will & Testament. But once you have one, keeping it up to date is vital to ensuring that your assets and property go to the people, beneficiaries, loved ones, and organizations that you want them to got to. There are a …
College education is expensive. This isn’t news. In Tennessee, the average cost for in-state tuition is nearly $15,000 a year. That number will increase—sharply—if your child chooses to attend a private school, or pursue studies out-of-state. Most parents and grandparents understand that paying for a child’s education requires a great deal of planning. Starting to save early is crucial. But …
Every parent knows that it can be a struggle to maintain fairness when it comes to giving gifts to their kids. Feelings of unfairness can be upsetting for kids of any age, including adult children, and it can make estate planning particularly challenging for parents who want to leave their children inheritances that are not monetarily equal. If you are …
No matter how close you are to your parents, it can be very difficult to discuss certain topics with them, like the topics of estate planning and end-of-life care choices. Because of this, many adult children never talk to their parents about things like their wills, trusts or advanced care directives. However, for a few reasons we discuss below, it …
Parents spend their lives trying to protect their kids and make life better for them. And these efforts can last long after a parent passes away if he or she has in place a comprehensive estate plan. Unfortunately, if you are a parent who puts off estate planning or does partial planning, you could be leaving your kids unprotected in …
