Clients often ask me what estate planning documents they will need beyond a Last Will and Testament. While no two plans are the same, I frequently suggest adding a revocable living trust to a comprehensive estate plan. Understanding how a trust might fit into your planning should help you get the planning puzzle right.  5 Reasons to Create a Revocable Living Trust To help your estate avoid probate. Probate is the legal process that is  required for the administration of the assets controlled by … [Read more...] about How implementing a Living Trust helps you get planning right.

Thirty years ago, I could never have imagined that I would find myself advising so many people about planning for their long term care or serving in the role of caregiver for a family member or friend.  Yet, as Clarity Legal Group® has developed, caregiving has become one of the major lenses through which we offer advice.  Last year we introduced a book offering guidance to caregivers in North Carolina and also created a tool kit of sorts on our web site for this purpose.  As I was planning … [Read more...] about The Ultimate Caregiver Guide

I remember sitting alone with my mother  in her hospital room after a major surgery and doing what I could to help.  During one groggy semi-conscious moment, she said "I never thought you'd be any good at this".  I think she was saying she thought I was doing a good job and she was surprised.  I didn't feel as if I was doing a good job.  I felt lost and I felt stressed.  I was an accidental caregiver.  I think a lot of caregivers find themselves in unexpected situations, doing things for which … [Read more...] about The Ultimate Caregiver Guide

I've talked about probate avoidance in my last two blogs.  Among other things, I mentioned that I thought a revocable living trust was the best probate avoidance tool.  In truth, there are a number of other important a valuable roles the living trust plays in good estate planning.  A revocable living trust is a versatile tool that functions during your life, during the administration of your affairs at your death, and can also provide continuing trusts for your loved ones in the years after your … [Read more...] about What is a Revocable Living Trust?

The trust lawyers at Clarity Legal Group® will work closely with you as you plan your legacy so that we can help you facilitate the transfer of assets via trust. Transferring money and property via a trust can help your heirs or beneficiaries by making it faster, easier, and less expensive for them to inherit. Our firm provides assistance with all aspects of trust creation, including the process of determining whether a trust is the most appropriate legal tool for your particular situation, … [Read more...] about How Trust Lawyers Help Trust Beneficiaries in the Triangle

The Trust Attorneys at Clarity Legal Group® help residents of Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Cary, and surrounding areas plan for some of the most critical issues they face.  Everybody needs an estate plan, but not everyone needs the same estate plan.  Working with an experienced Trust Attorney can help ensure that you get the plan you need, rather than just a set of cookie cutter documents. Comprehensive estate planning covers not only what happens at death, but what happens in the event of … [Read more...] about Why work with a Trust Attorney when Creating a Living Trust?

It's a common mistake to think that trust lawyers offer help only to people who have a lot of money.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  There are many uses for and strategies behind trusts.  The starting point is the use of a trust as an efficient and powerful management tool.  The reality is, even if you do not have a lot of money, using a trust to manage your affairs can be an important tool. A trust can protect your assets, provide for your care and that of your loved ones in the … [Read more...] about Do Trust Lawyers Only Help Wealthy People?

The trust attorneys at Clarity Legal Group® will assist you in taking steps to protect the people you love. When you use tools like trusts as part of your incapacity and end of life plan or in planning for an ongoing legacy for your family, it pays to have experience trust attorneys who can help you design a plan that is right for you.  A trust is a great estate planning tool, but it is important to understand that while the use of a trust is a great strategy, it is the thought design of the … [Read more...] about 5 Ways Durham Chapel Hill Trust Attorneys Help You Protect Your Family

Living trust attorneys at Clarity Legal Group® can provide assistance in determining if a living trust is right for you and can help you with trust creation. Our attorneys also have significant experience updating and improving Living Trusts which having fallen out of sync with your goals, changes in the law, or changes in what you own. There are many advantages to living trusts which is why so many people use these estate planning tools. However, it is also important to understand the … [Read more...] about The Value of a Living Trust