Food and Agricultural Law Blog

How much stuff is too much? Most Americans would probably admit that they own too many things. From clothes to electronics to sports equipment to collectibles, the typical US house is stuffed to the brim with items of questionable utility. On occasion, we may commit to decluttering, only to get overwhelmed or distracted. Meanwhile, the stuff keeps piling up. But ... Read More The post Swedish Death Cleaning appeared first on Rincker Law.

Many people believe that estate planning is only about planning for their death. But planning for what happens after you die is only one piece of the estate-planning puzzle. It is just as important to plan for what happens if you become unable to manage your own financial or medical affairs while you are alive (in other words, if you ... Read More The post How to Choose the Right Agents for Your Incapacity Plan appeared first on Rincker Law.

Comprehensive estate planning involves more than just planning for your legacy after your death, avoiding probate, and reducing taxes. Good estate planning also includes planning for incapacity. An incapacity plan will appoint people to make legal, financial, and medical decisions for you if you are alive but unable to make those decisions for yourself (in other words, if you are ... Read More The post Ask Cari: 5 Essential Legal Documents for Incapacity Planning appeared first on Rincker Law.

Death is a personal and private affair that affects the deceased’s close family and friends. However, there is at least one aspect of death that may require state oversight: probate. Probate is the court-supervised process of either (a) carrying out the instructions laid out in the deceased’s will or (b) applying state law to distribute a deceased’s accounts and property ... Read More The post Ask Cari: If My Will Is Filed with the Court, Will It Go through Probate? appeared first on Rincker Law.

The first private pension plan in the United States was established in the late 1800s. Through 1980, nearly 40 percent of Americans were covered by traditional employer-funded pensions. But employer-provided retirement plans have now largely shifted to retirement savings vehicles like 401(k) plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). These vehicles place most of the savings onus on the employee. Pensions ... Read More The post Ask Cari: Are Pensions Treated the Same in My Estate Plan as Other Retirement Accounts? appeared first on Rincker Law.