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Tips on Locating Missing Assets
Not applicable. These two words can save you a lot of time and effort. When a loved one passes, one of the most time-consuming tasks for...
Adam Bartsch
Mar 1, 20221 min read


What to Do When the Death of a Loved One is Imminent
Many of us have lived through those times when the death of a loved one is imminent. We know certain things ought to be done while time...
Adam Bartsch
Jan 3, 20221 min read


Naming a Trusted Contact to Protect Your Family
America’s 65-and-older population has been growing faster than any other age group for at least a decade, coinciding with the first Baby...
Adam Bartsch
Nov 1, 20211 min read


Treating Your Children Differently in Your Estate Plan
There are a number of good reasons to treat your children differently in your will or trust. These include a situation where one child...
Adam Bartsch
Sep 1, 20211 min read


Are Advance Directives Working As Intended?
Advance directives have been around nearly 50 years. Are they working as intended? For instance, have most citizens completed an advance...
Adam Bartsch
Jul 1, 20211 min read


Qualified Personal Residence Trusts
In the field of advanced planning, there are ways to shrink your estate (to reduce your estate tax liability), and there are ways to get...
Adam Bartsch
May 1, 20211 min read


Guardianships for Adults
There are many situations where guardianship for an adult might be needed during the late stages of life. What I hear most frequently is...
Adam Bartsch
Mar 1, 20211 min read


Family Loans Benefit When Interest Rates are Low
With interest rates perched at historically low levels, many people are feeling the pain of decreased dividends and income from their...
Adam Bartsch
Jan 1, 20211 min read


Going from Good to GRAT
In times like these, it can require effort to find any silver linings. And yet they do exist. Historically low interest rates are...
Adam Bartsch
Nov 1, 20201 min read


What to Do After an Alzheimer's Diagnosis
You noticed some changes. Some more pronounced than others. You raised your concerns with your doctor and took some cognitive tests. Now...
Adam Bartsch
Sep 1, 20201 min read


Planning a Funeral
Few of us know much about funeral planning. And that can be a problem. When we need funeral services for a loved one who has died, we...
Adam Bartsch
Jul 1, 20201 min read


Remote Signings
The “new normal” of social distancing and related measures to combat the coronavirus is with us for an indefinite time. Certainly many...
Adam Bartsch
May 1, 20201 min read


Special Edition: Estate Planning Jokes
Editor’s Note: Due to the challenging times we face, I thought a little humor could brighten your day. These are estate planning jokes I...
Adam Bartsch
Apr 1, 20201 min read


SECURE Act a Mixed Bag for Retirement Plans
Perhaps overlooked by many because it was signed into law only five days before Christmas, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement...
Adam Bartsch
Mar 1, 20201 min read


Revoking a Will
Wills can be easily amended or revoked, sometimes intentionally and sometimes by an event that changes our presumptions of what the...
Adam Bartsch
Jan 1, 20201 min read


Handling An Inherited House
An inherited house can be a field of landmines, some personal, some practical. The personal ones come first, when entering the newly...
Adam Bartsch
Nov 1, 20191 min read


Unworthy Heirs
One of the first steps in a probate proceeding is determining potential heirs of the decedent. This search typically starts with...
Adam Bartsch
Sep 1, 20191 min read


Legislative Updates for Estate Tax, Small Estates
In 2016, the Vermont Legislature largely fixed the state’s overly complex calculation for determining estate taxes in Vermont. At that...
Adam Bartsch
Jul 1, 20191 min read


Ademption and Abatement
When your favorite uncle told you that his mint condition 1971 BMW 2002Tii would be yours one day, needless to say it was more than...
Adam Bartsch
May 1, 20191 min read


Understanding Undue Influence
When an heir is disappointed at the provisions in a parent’s will, undue influence is often the first thought that springs to mind....
Adam Bartsch
Mar 1, 20191 min read
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