17 September

Sticky

The Importance of a Health Care Directive

As we age, there is a risk that our mental faculties will decline substantially or we'll suffer a sudden, unexpected health issue that leaves us incapacitated and unable to make important healthcare decisions. I've confronted this harsh reality with members of my own family. My father developed Alzheimer's and got to the point where he needed someone to step in and making important decisions on his behalf. Another tragic example is the mental decline of comedian Tim Conway, famous for his role on "The Carol Burnett Show." Conway was diagnosed with dementia and is "almost entirely unresponsive," according to MSN News....

02 May

0 Comments

Sticky

National Healthcare Decisions Day Provides Reminder of Key Planning Documents You Need

Posted by Bobby Feisee

in Current Events, News

We have all heard horror stories about family members disagreeing over end-of-life care decisions. This can result in families ending up in protracted court battles while patients are kept alive on life support. All the while, no one really knew what the patient actually wanted. Do not let this happen to you. Provide your loved ones with some relief by planning ahead for your healthcare decisions. On April 16, 2016, organizations throughout the country tried to inspire, educate and empower the public about the importance of advance care planning. National Healthcare Decisions Day encourages people to express their wishes regarding healthcare....

07 January

0 Comments

Sticky

New Year’s Resolution – Review Your Estate Plan

Posted by Bobby Feisee

in Bobby's Blog

With a new year comes resolutions. Some people may plan to get into better shape. Some people may plan to get out of credit card debt. But everyone should make a resolution to review their estate planning documents. To help get you started, we put together a brief checklist of topics and issues you and your loved ones need to review in your estate plan. You should make this a yearly habit. That is why, at InSight Law, we have a formal maintenance plan for all of our clients to update their estate plans and make adjustments as events in our their...

01 July

0 Comments

Sticky

Ignorance is Not Bliss – The Importance of Maintaining Your Estate Planning Documents

Posted by KarenLewis

in Bobby's Blog

In a packed auditorium for a TEDx Conference, venerated journalist and author Tom Brokaw was asked flat out by his daughter what was in his Living Will. Why? Because she had no clue. They never talked about exactly what was in his Living Will. Even more shocking was Mr. Brokaw’s admission that “unfortunately, I don’t know a lot about my living will. In fact, I’m not even sure where it is at this point.” [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCFwlysc56c&feature=youtu.be&t=2m15s[/embed] Think about that for a moment – Tom Brokaw, a man who has dedicated his life to investigative journalism including intense research and scouring details of high-level...

21 February

0 Comments

Sticky

Take Part in the Seventh Annual Virginia Healthcare Decisions Day

Posted by KarenLewis

in Bobby's Blog

Virginia is putting the spotlight on an important aspect of estate planning - healthcare directives. The Seventh Annual Healthcare Decisions Day will take place on April 16th. For more info, check out the Virginia State Bar's info page. So what is this day all about? Well, a critically important estate planning document is an “Advance Directive.” This document allows you to put your wishes regarding medical care in writing and lets your loved ones know the types of medical care you do and do not want in car you are unable to express your wishes. Generally, there are two types of...

03 December

0 Comments

Sticky

As the New Year Approaches, Take Time to Re-Examine Your Estate Plan

Posted by KarenLewis

in Bobby's Blog

We’re rapidly approaching 2015 and now is the time that many people take a step back to take inventory of big events in 2014 and plan for the new year. If you have an estate plan, it’s a good rule of thumb to re-examine your plan at least once a year (do NOT put together a plan and throw it into a lockbox for all eternity- it simply will not work). If you do not have an estate plan, you should make it a goal for 2015. Remember, estate planning is not just for you, it is also about...

09 July

0 Comments

Sticky

Burial Rites – Add To Your Health Care Proxy, Will, or Both?

Posted by KarenLewis

in Bobby's Blog

Settling the finances, documents and other important affairs of a deceased loved one can be extremely difficult, even overwhelming. Adding the stress of trying to properly plan a funeral or memorial service just makes the situation even more difficult. This is why you should consider adding burial rites and directives for your memorial service (if you want one) in your will. Obviously, your family and friends want to honor you, but they may not agree on how to best do this. Do not leave it up to them to figure out what’s best. Make their lives somewhat less stressful during...

14 March

0 Comments

Sticky

Bobby’s Estate Planning Mythbuster: Access to Assets Held in a Revocable Trust

Posted by KarenLewis

in Bobby's Blog

Myth: If you set up a revocable trust, you lose control and access to your assets. Truth: You have just as much control - if not more – when you create a revocable trust and transfer assets to the trust. A trust is basically a contract between a trustmaker (i.e. you - the person who creates the trust), a trustee (i.e. one who controls the trust; can be you or someone else) and beneficiaries (i.e. the people entitled to benefit from the trust). As the grantor, you determine how the trust will be operated by the trustee and who benefits. There are numerous...