Werner Law Firm 
Trusts are flexible and powerful legal tools, in the right hands. However, when used inefficiently, they can become unmanageable, recklessly expensive, or serve as the equivalent of using a cannonball to swat a fly. If you want to make the most of your trust, start with why you might need one. In most cases, this …
A codicil is an addendum or amendment to a last will and testament. It takes priority over the original document, provided it is dated and witnessed correctly, and thus properly supersedes the will. The term itself comes from the Latin cōdicillus, which translates into “a short writing” – explaining exactly what a codicil should be. …
Personal injury claims are not easy. If you’ve been badly hurt, the last thing on your mind is the complexity of tort law and the nuances of a personal injury lawsuit. You may just wish to heal, or you may be angry, and want justice. Or perhaps you see no other way to finance your …
Trusts can be a powerful legal tool if you know how to implement them. A trust allows you to safeguard assets from creditors and better prepare your estate for the event of your death, and your incapacity. Furthermore, trusts sidestep the probate process, which can take well over a year under certain circumstances. But trusts, …
A person’s last will and testament is an important document governing their final decisions on the matter of their material possessions and estate. But not all wills are created equal. Every last will and testament must be legitimized in probate court, after the attorney, personal representative, or loved one of the decedent has petitioned for …
For those who see their animal companions as family members, a pet is not mere property, but a trusted loved one. And while most humans outlive their pets, some animals can be quite long-lived, and in other cases, an untimely passing might leave a pet homeless. Estate planning may mean the difference between knowing our …
A testamentary trust is a trust agreement written and designed to go into effect after your death. As opposed to the more popular living trust, wherein the trust becomes valid as soon as it is signed and notarized, a testamentary trust is established through a last will and testament. Trusts and wills are often compared …
Successor Trustee vs Executor Estate plans consist of legal documents that are signed, notarized, and kept safe in places like safety deposit boxes. But they also consist of people. And while the documents themselves serve as the foundation for an estate plan, what ultimately makes the plan work is the people who carry it out …
Prior to the pandemic, only about one in three Americans had a will, let alone another type of estate planning tool. That may be in part because death is an uncomfortable subject – but if you have any assets and any family, it is an important one. When we die, everything we own is distributed …
Let’s say you own a rental property or are the sole owner of a home. Let’s say you die without bequeathing that property to anyone specific and leave behind children and a surviving spouse. What happens next? Without a will, the state you reside in (and the state in which the property is located) will …