Author: kiermanstage

As poet Robert Burns mused centuries ago, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Despite thoughtful effort and a concerted strategy, you cannot prepare for every emergency …

My client’s husband passed away three years ago, and ever since, she’s been trying to figure out the password to one of his files. Then, out of nowhere, she woke …

Have you ever thought about what happens to your digital life after you’re gone? When most people sit down to create an estate plan, their first thoughts are usually about …

It is normal for married couples to share almost every aspect of their lives with each other. But when it comes to death, even the closest couples might become tight-lipped …

Most people don’t realize that digital assets like PayPal, Venmo, and cryptocurrency accounts don’t automatically transfer to loved ones when they pass away. Without proper estate planning, these accounts can …

The United States hosts the highest number of immigrants in the world, but increasingly, Americans say they are looking to relocate permanently to another country. A large percentage of wealthy …

What can Thomas Jefferson teach us about estate planning? Despite being a brilliant intellectual and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson nevertheless struggled to manage his financial …

I recently had a client who was upset to learn that, under the law, her children from a previous marriage would receive less than she intended—simply because she didn’t have …

What can George Washington teach us about estate planning? Washington was arguably the most universally beloved and revered US president. Volumes have been written about this man and what he …

An individual’s belongings—such as jewelry, furniture, photographs, and books—sometimes slip through the cracks of their estate plan. While certain books may be gifted to a beneficiary in a loved one’s …