Category: AAC

One thing is certain: we Americans love our pets. The American Pet Products Association estimates that in 2017, pet owners spent an estimated $69.36 billion on their dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and other domestic animals. The money spent isn’t only for pampering the pets, it also includes the necessary food, veterinary visits, and medications. So…

1. Workshops, Workshops, Workshops In addition to De Fonte Law PC’s educational workshops for young families, I have found great satisfaction in providing insights into estate planning issues to financial advisors and insurance professionals. And in doing this I have learned so much from these professionals – tips that have enriched my practice and made…

I firmly believe that estate planning is a social justice issue. A family that doesn’t have much can lose everything if they don’t have a personalized estate plan. I work with clients who have no real estate, no savings, and little retirement. With life insurance, we “create an estate” for their heirs. I also work…

Many business owners are struggling to keep their businesses afloat and are currently making tough decisions about layoffs. My law firm has been advising dozens of small business owners and startups on how to navigate the ongoing fallout from COVID-19. Here are six tips that have helped some of our clients weather the storm and…

Marriage and Estate Planning Go Hand In Hand Every married couple needs an estate plan. Your idea of “who owns what” may not be the reality under the law. Most married people are surprised that they need formal documents, thinking that their spouse can “step into their shoes” and automatically be able to care for…

Every month I think I will write about a legal topic – and then I sit down with a new client and I remember why I do this work. Personalization is key to a functioning estate plan. I recently met with a potential client who dutifully completed his estate plan in the month his son…

I wrote a newsletter regarding avoiding a will contest. Clients often think that a change to their estate plan is “simple” – they would simply like to change the names of the trustees and the names of the beneficiaries. This is exactly the type of change that would likely lead to litigation. I will not…

Having an updated estate plan is more important than ever. However, documents that are poorly created or not frequently updated can be vulnerable to contestation. What is contestation? It is the formal objection to a will’s (or trust’s) validity because it either: a) doesn’t reflect the wishes of the person who created the will, or…

I wrote a newsletter on the perils of do it yourself (DIY) estate planning. I have seen quite a few of these over the years. I have worked with clients who paid hundreds of dollars to use an online platform. Sadly, the documents would create nothing but chaos and heartache for their families. Happily, I…