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Today, we're diving into a topic that is absolutely crucial: estate planning for your parents. As they gracefully navigate their golden years, ensuring their peace of mind (and yours!) becomes a top priority. Whether they raised you the way you want, or showed you how you want to do it differently, as your parents' age, one of the very best things you can do for your own best future, and that of your entire future lineage - your children, grandchildren, and beyond - is to take great care of the people you were born to or raised by. The questions you need to start asking now are: How will you help them if they become ill or injured? Who will take care of their bills and make sure their health needs are met? How do they want to be cared for, if and when they cannot care for themselves? The starting place is open conversation and a power trio of estate planning tools swoop in to save the day: the General Power of Attorney, the Power of Attorney for Healthcare (including a Living Will), and the HIPAA Waiver. Now, let's break down why these tools are the unsung heroes of comprehensive estate planning for your parents, and how to bring them up so you can support your parents to get them created or updated, no matter how much or how little money they have in the bank. 1. General Power of Attorney (POA) A General Power of Attorney (or POA)  grants a person you name (often a family member or trusted friend) the authority to manage your financial affairs if you become unable to do so yourself. From handling bills to making investment decisions, the General POA ensures that your financial matters are handled, whether you’re experiencing a temporary illness or a long-term inability to manage your money, such as in the case of memory problems. If your parents have assets that you must be able to access easily in the event of their incapacity, you may decide that a POA for accessing their accounts is not sufficient, as it can be difficult to get access to bank accounts even with a POA in place, and will require court action. In that case, the best course of action is to ensure that their assets are titled in the name of a trust, with you or someone you trust as the named successor Trustee, who can step in and handle financial matters for your parents, without any court involvement, when needed. 2. Power of Attorney for Healthcare and Living Will It’s possible your parents already lean on you for guidance with their healthcare decisions, and it’s equally possible they don’t share details of their healthcare with you at all. No matter which side of the spectrum your parents stand on, the question of what will happen to their healthcare needs if they become seriously ill can feel overwhelming —  and trust me, it’s even more overwhelming during moments of medical crisis. Thankfully, a Power of Attorney for Healthcare and Living Will allow your parents to explain their medical wishes to guide medical providers and family members on what treatments and life-saving measures they’d like to have, even in the toughest of times. The Power of Attorney for Healthcare designates someone to make these medical decisions on behalf of your parents if they're unable to do so. This trusted individual becomes the advocate, ensuring that healthcare choices align with your parents' values and preferences. Meanwhile, the Living Will – also known as a Declaration to Physicians – outlines your parents' wishes regarding life-sustaining treatments in the event they're unable to communicate. From CPR to artificial hydration, this document provides clarity amidst uncertainty, giving both your parents and their loved ones peace of mind that the decisions being made around their care and what they themselves would want. 3. HIPAA Waiver In the digital age, privacy is paramount – but what happens when privacy becomes a barrier to essential healthcare-related communication? Enter the HIPAA Waiver, the ultimate tool for opening communication roadblocks in times of need. HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) protects the privacy of individuals' medical records. While this is crucial for safeguarding sensitive medical information, it can sometimes hinder the flow of communication between healthcare providers and family members, especially for the elderly and those incapacitated by an illness or injury. By signing a HIPAA Waiver, your parents authorize specific individuals to access their medical information and speak directly to their medical providers, ensuring seamless communication and informed decision-making. This is essential in medical emergencies but is also extremely helpful if your parents need help hearing their doctor or understanding their medical advice. How to Bring Up Estate Planning With Your Parents The best way to bring up estate planning with your parents is to get your own planning handled first. Then, let your parents know that in the process of handling your own planning, your lawyer raised the question of whether you were an agent under anyone else’s power of attorney, or named as a successor Trustee in your parents' Trust, or if you are going to be caring for aging parents at some point. And, if you have worked with a lawyer and they didn’t ask you those questions, give us a call and let’s review your plan and your parents’ planning to make sure that everything you’ll need is dialed in. This can all get quite messy very quickly, and now is the time to talk with your parents. Why the Urgency? You might be thinking, "Why the rush? Can't we tackle this later?" Here's the scoop: Life is unpredictable, and procrastination can be a costly gamble. Waiting until a crisis strikes to get these tools in place can lead to a whirlwind of legal and emotional chaos, leaving your parents' wishes unfulfilled and their affairs in disarray. By proactively planning ahead, you're not just checking items off a to-do list – you're investing in your parents' peace of mind and yours. Don't wait for a storm to hit – schedule a 15-minute call today to learn how our unique Life & Legacy Planning process is designed with your family's well-being in mind, offering personalized guidance and support every step of the way.

In the first part of this series, we discussed the estate planning tools all unmarried couples should have in place. Here, we’ll look at the final two must-have planning tools. Most people tend to view estate planning as something only married couples need to worry about. However, estate planning can be even more critical for those in committed relationships who are unmarried. Because your relationship with one another is frequently not legally recognized, if one of you becomes incapacitated or when one of you dies, not having any planning can have disastrous consequences. Your age, income level, and marital status makes no difference—every adult needs to have some fundamental planning strategies in place if you want to keep the people you love out of court and out of conflict. Last week, we discussed wills, trusts, and durable power of attorney. Here, we’ll look at two more must-have estate planning tools, both of which are designed to protect your choices about the type of medical treatment you’d want if tragedy should strike. 03 | MEDICAL POWER OF ATTORNEY In addition to naming someone to manage your finances in the event of your incapacity, you also need to name someone who can make health-care decisions for you. If you want your partner to have any say in how your health care is handled during your incapacity, you should grant your partner medical power of attorney. This gives your partner the ability to make health-care decisions for you if you’re incapacitated and unable to do so yourself. This is particularly important if you’re unmarried, seeing that your family could leave your partner totally out of the medical decision-making process, and even deny him or her the right to visit you in the hospital. Don’t forget to provide your partner with HIPAA authorization within the medical power of attorney, so he or she will have access to your medical records to make educated decisions about your care. 04 | LIVING WILL While medical power of attorney names who can make health-care decisions in the event of  your incapacity, a living will explains how your care should be handled, particularly at the end of life. If you want your partner to have control over how your end-of-life care is managed, you should name them as your agent in a living will. A living will explains how you’d like important medical decisions made, including if and when you want life support removed, whether you would want hydration and nutrition, and even what kind of food you want and who can visit you. Without a valid living will, doctors will most likely rely entirely on the decisions of your family or the named medical power of attorney holder when determining what course of treatment to pursue. Without a living will, those choices may not be the choices you—or your partner—would want. WE CAN HELP If you’re involved in a committed relationship—married or not—or you just want to make sure that the people you choose are making your most important life-and-death decisions, consult with us to put these essential estate planning tools in place. With our help, we can support you in identifying the best planning strategies for your unique needs and situation. Schedule a complimentary initial consult to get started or e-mail lauren@kaplanestatelaw.com.

Estate planning is often considered something you only need to worry about once you get married. But the reality is every adult, regardless of age, income level, or marital status, needs to have some fundamental planning strategies in place if you want to keep the people you love out of court and out of conflict. In fact, estate planning can be even more critical for unmarried couples. Regardless if you’ve been together for decades and act just like a married couple, you likely aren’t viewed as one in the eyes of the law. And in the event one of you becomes incapacitated or when one of you dies, not having any planning in place can have disastrous consequences. If you’re in a committed relationship and have yet to get—or even have no plans to get—married, the following estate planning documents are an absolute must: 01 | WILLS AND TRUSTS If you’re unmarried and die without planning, the assets you leave behind will be distributed according to your state’s intestate laws to your family members: parents, siblings, and possibly even other, more distant relatives if you have no living parents or siblings. The state’s laws would provide NO protection for your unmarried partner. Given this, if you want your partner to receive any of your assets upon your death, you need to—at the very least—create a will. A will details how you want your assets distributed after you die, and you can name your unmarried partner, or even a friend, to inherit some or all of your assets. However, certain assets like life insurance, pensions, and 401(k)s, are not transferred through a will. Instead, those assets will go to the person named in the beneficiary designation, so be sure to name your partner as beneficiary if you’d like him or her to inherit those assets. However, there could be an even better way. Although wills and beneficiary designations offer one way for your unmarried partner to inherit your assets, they’re not always the best option. First and foremost, they do not operate in the event of your incapacity, which could occur before your death. In that case, your partner may not have access to needed assets to pay bills, or he or she could potentially even be kicked out of your home by a family member appointed as your guardian during your incapacity. Moreover, a will requires probate, a court process that can take quite some time to navigate. And finally, assets passed by beneficiary designation go outright to your partner, with no protection from creditors or lawsuits. To protect those assets for your partner, you’ll need a different planning strategy. A far better option would be to place the assets you want your partner to inherit in a living trust. First off, trusts can be used to transfer assets in the event of your incapacity, not just upon your death. Trusts also do not have to go through probate, saving your partner precious time and money. What’s more, leaving your assets in a continued trust that your partner could control would ensure the assets are protected from creditors, future relationships, and/or unexpected lawsuits. Consult with us for help deciding which option—a will or trust—is best suited for passing on your assets. 02 | DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY When it comes to estate planning, most people focus only on what happens when they die. However, it’s just as important—if not even more so—to plan for your potential incapacity due to an accident or illness. If you become incapacitated and haven’t legally named someone to handle your finances while you’re unable to do so, the court will pick someone for you. And this person could be a family member, who doesn’t care for or want to support your partner, or it could be a professional guardian who will charge hefty fees, possibly draining your estate. Since it’s unlikely that your unmarried partner will be the court’s first choice, if you want your partner (or even a friend)  to manage your finances in the event you become incapacitated, you would grant your partner (or friend) a durable power of attorney. Durable power of attorney is an estate planning tool that will give your partner immediate authority to manage your financial matters in the event of your incapacity. He or she will have a broad range of powers to handle things like paying your bills and taxes, running your business, collecting government benefits, selling your home, as well as managing your banking and investment accounts. Granting a durable power of attorney to your partner is especially important if you live together, because without it, the person who is named by the court could legally force your partner out with little to no notice, leaving your partner homeless. Next week, we’ll continue with part two in this series on must-have estate planning strategies for unmarried couples. Questions about planning? Schedule a complimentary initial consult or e-mail lauren@kaplanestatelaw.com.

If you’ve given any thought about estate planning, you probably associate it with preparing for death. But did you know that there are critical reasons (and significant benefits) for planning while you’re still well and alive? That’s why I refer to my services as Life & Legacy Planning. When done right, planning for your assets and your death is something that should start right now through honest, open conversations with your family. It starts by talking with your parents, siblings, and children about what you want the future of your family to look like, how you’d like assets managed, and what type of care each family member would want in the event of a debilitating or terminal illness. You may have already started a conversation about estate planning with your family. But this week, I dive deeper into the conversations you need to have right now to truly understand your family’s financial picture and plan for the future in the best way. Keep reading to learn the two conversations about money and death you need to have right now. Conversation #1: What Exactly Do Your Parents Own? Initiating the first conversation involves posing fundamental questions to your parents and the older members of your family: "What do we have? Where is it? And, how would I access it if you weren't here to guide me?" The potential risk to your family's wealth is intricately tied to the costs incurred in the event of a passing. Beyond the visible expenses of funerals, burial, or cremation, and end-of-life medical care, there exists a myriad of unseen costs. Unclaimed assets, amounting to approximately $70 billion in various departments across the U.S., often slip through the cracks because family members don’t know where the assets are, how to get them, or that they even exist. Because of this, tracking and documenting assets, including crypto assets, before incapacity or death is essential to protecting your family’s wealth when someone dies or becomes incapacitated. It may be difficult to bring up this topic with your parents or other family members, but how you approach it with them will make all the difference. The secrecy of asset locations or the fear of appearing greedy may hinder an open discussion between family members, but this can be overcome by building trust between relatives and entire generations. For the junior generation, building trust involves understanding the root causes of distrust and stepping into a mature, caring perspective for the greater family good. Similarly, senior generations can nurture trust by taking ownership of past parenting shortcomings and demonstrating faith in the individuals their children have become – after all, if you raised your children with a sense of financial and personal responsibility, you should be able to trust them! Navigating these challenges may be daunting, but the rewards of building trust and initiating this crucial conversation are immeasurable. Use the conversation as an opportunity to record the locations and access permissions of family assets. If you aren’t sure how to do this, we can help you create a clear inventory of your assets so nothing is lost when death or illness strike. Conversation #2: What Are Their Wishes for Long-Term Care? The next conversation you need to have with your parents is about long-term care planning. This conversation extends beyond financial considerations and looks into the emotional intricacies of care, posing questions about who will provide care if your parents become incapacitated or disabled, how it will be administered, and the potential burdens on loved ones. While money can be a less vulnerable entry point to this conversation, the core involves the tender question of personal care. Addressing concerns such as, "Who will take care of me? How will I be cared for? Will I be a burden on my loved ones?" brings a level of vulnerability that goes beyond financial considerations. Neglecting this conversation can leave crucial decision-making up to the medical system, often resulting in undesirable outcomes and accumulating costs. By engaging in the long-term care conversation, clarity emerges on preferences, funding, and avenues for protection against unforeseen care costs. Let Us Guide The Conversation If initiating these conversations feels challenging or uncomfortable, we can help. As your attorney, we focus on building personal relationships with our clients and their families, and can help guide you and your family through difficult discussions and tough questions about your family’s assets and wishes. It starts with a Life & Legacy Planning Session, where we look at everything you own and everyone you love to identify gaps in your family’s security and make a plan that ensures everything will be cared for the way you want when you die or if you become incapacitated. To learn more, schedule a complimentary 15-minute discovery call with us or e-mail lauren@kaplanestatelaw.com.

As we welcome the New Year, filled with hope and resolutions for a brighter future, if you have minor children or grandchildren, put this commitment at the top of your list– a Kids Protection Plan. Even if you have already named legal guardians for your children (or your siblings have done it for their kids, or your kids have done it for your grandchildren), most people … even lawyers! … make 1 of 6 common mistakes when naming legal guardians. And, if you (or your siblings or your children) haven’t named legal guardians for minors you care about, make it your New Year’s resolution is to take care of the littles in your life before the end of this month. It can be hard to think about a future where you couldn’t be there for the people you care about the most, but having a plan in place will ensure the little ones you love stay in the care of the people they know and trust in the event you become incapacitated or die. If you do not take action, the decisions about their care could be left up to chance, or to whichever judge is overseeing the family court at the time something happens. This is not just some task to add to your to-do list; it's a warm embrace of security for the littles you love. So, why is this the ultimate resolution for you in 2024? Keep reading to find out. Unforeseen Circumstances Can Leave Your Kids In the Care of Strangers (or Worse) What could be worse than your kids being left in the care of strangers if something happens to you? Your kids being left in the care of that one person you know you’d never want making decisions about their education, healthcare, or financial life. If you don’t have a person like that in your life, lucky you! And, you still want to choose who makes the most important decisions for your kids, if you can’t, right? Imagine your kids at home with a babysitter, and you don’t make it home. Your babysitter waits, and frets, but doesn’t know what to do. They have no choice but to call the authorities because you didn’t leave any instructions otherwise. The authorities arrive and they have no choice but to take your kids into the care of strangers, even if you’ve already named legal guardians in your Will. They probably don’t know where your Will is located. And, if they can find it quickly, they may not know how to get in touch with the people you’ve named. Or, the people you’ve named all live hours or even days away. Finally, because your Will must go through the court process to be operative, the authorities can put your kids in the care of people who may be strangers to your kids - or even someone you wouldn’t want - while they wait for the Court process to play out. But, not to worry, we do have a solution! It’s called a Kids Protection Plan, and it will solve each of these problems plus ensure your children are never in the care of anyone you wouldn’t want. A Kids Protection Plan Lets You Pick Who Cares for Your Kids - Not a Judge Is there someone in your life whom you unequivocally would never want raising your kids? Even if you’ve already named Permanent Legal Guardians for them, it’s still up to a judge to make the official determination of who should raise your children long-term. If this person is an immediate family member, the judge may choose them as your kids’ Permanent legal guardian if they come forward as a candidate, despite what your permanent guardian nomination paperwork says. Crazy, I know! But it’s how the system works. A comprehensive Kids Protection Plan confidentially excludes anyone you would never want raising your kids and we’ve figured out how to create it in a way that makes it highly unlikely that anyone you would never want to take custody or care of your kids would even try. With this confidential document, you can ensure your children are always kept out of the care of anyone you would never want to make decisions for them. You Have Unique Desires for Your Kids’ Education, Healthcare, and Financial Well-Being You spend an inordinate amount of time planning your kids' activities, their care, and their birthday parties. You almost certainly have distinct desires regarding their education, healthcare, and financial well-being. A Kids Protection Plan allows you to articulate these wishes in a way that provides your kids’ Legal Guardians with guidance and your children with the comfort of their routine. Plus, providing clear instructions to potential guardians ensures your children's upbringing aligns with your values and aspirations. This process not only secures their future but also provides you with clarity about your parenting priorities. Comprehensive Protection for the Ones You Love Most While nominating permanent legal guardians is fundamental, it might not suffice in every situation. A full-fledged Kids Protection Plan offers a holistic approach, addressing the potential pitfalls of leaving your kids with caregivers, excluding unwanted individuals from guardianship, and outlining your unique desires for their well-being. This comprehensive plan ensures that your children remain in the care of trusted individuals who understand and respect your values. If you're ready to make creating a Kids Protection Plan, your most significant New Year’s resolution, the first step is to schedule your Life & Legacy Planning Session. During the Session, we’ll guide you through our unique, heart-centered process to tailor a plan that reflects your wishes, secures your family's future, and includes a Kids Protection Plan. And unlike other resolutions that may be hard to stick to, we’re here to guide and support you through every step to ensure your Kids Protection Plan offers the best protection for the people you love - both now and for years to come. Click here schedule a complimentary call to learn more about our process and schedule your own Life & Legacy Planning Session.

Trying to find the right lawyer to help with legal matters, especially if you are under the gun in a crisis situation, but even if you aren’t, can often feel like navigating uncharted waters. You want to find an attorney you like who will understand your family’s needs, but you also have to consider the cost of the attorney you’re hiring, and whether they can meet your immediate needs and be there for you in the long term. Depending on the type of legal work you need handled, whether it’s a high-conflict litigation matter, a one-off transactional matter, or ongoing strategic support, the options can be confusing to say the least. Maybe you’ve even considered a legal insurance plan or a pre-paid legal program. While the idea of legal insurance is fantastic, the execution is often lacking. In this blog, we’ll explore your options for hiring a lawyer just by looking at the legal billing models. In future articles, we’ll consider other factors, such as the benefits of consistent relationships, strategic guidance, and proactive risk prevention. In addition, for the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on proactive estate planning, and touch on some of the other more reactive situations, such as crisis planning to support an elder who needs immediate nursing care or a high-conflict divorce or business break-up. The Pitfalls and Costs of Hourly Billing Hourly billing, tracked and invoiced in 6-minute increments, has been the standard legal billing model for generations. If you’ve ever hired a lawyer billing by the hour, you probably experienced the reality where you really didn’t want to share too much with that lawyer, and wanted to keep your conversations as concise as possible, always tracking whether the conversation strayed into anything personal and perhaps wondering “am I getting billed for this?” As a result, when hiring an attorney who bills by the hour, you’ll likely find yourself hesitant to contact your attorney with questions or additional pieces of information because you don’t want to incur extra costs or get a surprise bill in the mail. This creates a barrier to open communication with your lawyer and can keep you from getting the legal support you truly need. Or, you may not even think about how your lawyer is billing, and after a quick phone call to your lawyer here and an email to them there, you could be caught off guard by how quickly those 6-minute increments add up to substantial invoices you weren’t planning on. This can harm your relationship with your lawyer, make it challenging to budget for legal services effectively, and can leave you feeling stressed about your legal bills instead of focusing on the reason that brought you to the lawyer in the first place. Complex cases or unforeseen complications can inflate your bill even more by prolonging the time your lawyer is needed to complete the work. Even without a complex case, hourly billing may unintentionally skew your lawyer's incentives. After all, a longer legal process means more billable hours for them. If you’re wondering if this is the case with your lawyer, it negatively impacts your sense of trust in your relationship with them. Hourly rates for lawyers can be as low as $125 per hour, and as high as $1000 or more per hour. In some big firms, they even get as high as $2000 per hour now. The general range seems to be $250-$650 per hour, depending on the type of matter. Because hourly billing comes with so many risks to the relationship with your lawyer and your bank account, whenever possible*, we recommend that you work with a lawyer who is experienced enough in the type of matter they are handling for you that they are able to quote you a flat fee for a specific outcome related to the work you need handled. *Importantly, in matter involving litigation or where the outcome is unknown at the start, this isn't always possible. The Advantages of Flat Fees Choosing a lawyer who charges flat fees flips the script, offering a straightforward and transparent approach to legal billing. With flat fees, you know exactly what you'll pay from the outset, and what you’ll be delivered in return. As we say here in our office: all of our estate planning is billed on a flat-fee basis, agreed to in advance, so there are no surprises. This transparency eliminates the stress of unexpected costs and allows you to plan for legal expenses more effectively. Flat fees give you and your lawyer room to speak freely about your needs without feeling as if you need to watch the clock or wonder if you’ve strayed too far afield in your conversation and connection. This means you can ask questions without worry, and leave it to your lawyer to set boundaries around whether any of the additions you may want would increase the fee for the services you need. The way we see this work in our office when we are focusing on your estate planning matters is that we’ve invested considerable time in coming up with a flat fee billing structure that’s based around the outcomes you desire, rather than the specific documents you need, and that is flexible to change and grow with you over time. For example, you may begin with a plan that is focused on keeping your kids in the care of people you know, love, and trust but doesn’t fully avoid the court process. Later, you might upgrade to a more comprehensive plan that focuses more on asset protection. The critical aspect here is that your fee is tied to the outcomes you desire, not the hours it takes or the documents we create. When an attorney charges a fee for their services that is based on the outcome you desire, you know you’re getting a comprehensive package, not just one or two documents or a set of hours that won’t actually deliver for you and your family at the end of the day. Keeping The Focus On You We specialize in providing comprehensive estate planning with a focus on our client relationships. That means charging a reasonable flat fee for a comprehensive plan where we can take the time to get to know you, your family, and your needs on an intimate level and tailor your fee to the outcomes you desire. Plus, we understand that planning for death and incapacity can be a lot to think about, and we want to give you the mental and emotional space to consider your estate planning options without the anxiety or distraction of a bill that changes every month. We want our time spent together to be entirely focused on you and your needs. If you’re ready to create an estate plan for the people you love that will serve and protect them for years to come, we invite you to reach out. Schedule a complimentary discovery call with us to get started or e-mail lauren@kaplanestatelaw.com.

In some cases, you could inadvertently leave a reality in which your surviving heirs—your kids, parents, or others—are responsible for your debt. Alternatively, if you structure your affairs properly, your debt could die right along with you. According to the Federal Trade Commission, an individual’s debt does not disappear once that person dies. Rather, the debt must either be paid out of the deceased’s estate or by a co-creditor. And that could be bad news for you or the people you love. What exactly happens to this debt can vary. One of the purposes of the court process known as probate is to provide a time period for creditors to make a claim against the deceased’s estate, in which case debts would be paid before beneficiaries receive their inheritance. But if there is nothing in the probate estate and all assets are held outside of the probate estate, then what? Well, that’s where we come in, and why it’s so important to get your affairs in order, even if you have a lot more debt than assets. Your “estate” isn’t just what you own, it includes what you owe, too. And with good planning, we can help you align it all in exactly the way you want. Debt After Death When an individual dies, someone will handle his or her affairs, and this person is known as an executor or an administrator (if there is no Will). The executor can either be someone of the individual’s choice, if he or she planned in advance, or someone appointed by the court in the absence of planning. The executor opens the probate process, during which the court recognizes any will that’s in place and formally appoints the executor to administer the deceased’s estate and distribute any outstanding assets to their loved ones. During this process, the estate’s assets are used to pay any outstanding debt. This usually includes all of an individual’s assets, although it does not include assets with beneficiary designations, such as 401(k) plans and insurance policies. The estate does not own these assets, and they pass directly to the named beneficiaries. Given these factors, if an individual’s assets are subject to probate and the person has outstanding debt, their beneficiaries will receive a smaller share of anything left to them in the estate plan. How Unsecured Debts Are Handled After Death Typically, unsecured debts, such as credit card debts, are the last form of debt the estate repays. In most cases, the estate first repays the legal and administrative fees associated with executing the deceased’s will and then any outstanding secured debts, including car and mortgage loans. Unsecured debt, such as credit card bills, are usually last in the order of priority of payment of debts. Usually, if the estate lacks the assets to repay these debts, creditors have no choice but to accept the loss. However, in some states, probate laws may dictate how the deceased’s creditors can clear these debts in other ways, such as by forcing the sale of the deceased’s property. It’s worth noting that there is a time limit for creditors to claim against an estate after the deceased dies. In Illinois, the time limit is 6 months in probate cases or two years if there is no probate. Avoiding Probate There are several things you can do to avoid probate. Perhaps the most common involves establishing a revocable living trust. Since the trust, not the estate, owns the assets, assets held by a properly funded and maintained trust do not have to go through the probate process. Despite this, creating a living trust does not guarantee an individual’s assets will receive protection from creditors if that person has debt. What it does mean is that his or her heirs may have more flexibility compared to probate. In other words, by creating a living trust, your trustee may be able to negotiate with creditors more easily to reduce any outstanding debt. In theory, creditors may still sue to repay the debt in full. However, since this could involve significant costs, creditors may prefer to settle instead. When Do Surviving Family Members Pay The Deceased’s Debts? Most of the time, it’s unnecessary for surviving family members to pay the deceased’s debt with their own money. Instead, as noted above, payment of the debts are either paid out of the deceased’s estate, or if there is no estate, the debts are extinguished. However, there are some exceptions to this, including the following: Co-signing loans or credit cards: If someone cosigns a loan or credit card with the deceased, that individual is responsible for clearing any outstanding debt associated with that account. Having jointly owned property: If an individual has jointly owned property or bank accounts with the deceased, that person is responsible for clearing any outstanding balances associated with these assets. Community property: In some states, including California, Arizona, Nevada, Louisiana, Idaho, Texas, Washington, New Mexico, and Wisconsin, the surviving spouse is required to clear any outstanding debt associated with community property. Community property is any property jointly owned by a married couple. State laws: Some states require surviving family members, or the estate more generally, to clear any debts associated with the deceased’s healthcare costs. Additionally, if the estate’s executor failed to follow a state’s probate laws, it might be necessary for him or her to pay fines for doing so. What To Do When Someone Dies With Debt When someone dies with outstanding debt, it’s important to take swift action to handle their affairs and negotiate their debts. Below are some steps to follow when faced with this scenario: 01 - Understand Your Rights Since probate laws vary between states, it’s a good idea to thoroughly research the probate process in your state, or hire a lawyer to handle the estate for or with you. Many states require creditors to make claims within a specific period, while also requiring surviving family members to publicly declare the deceased’s death before creditors can collect any outstanding debt. It’s also against the law for creditors to use offensive or unfair tactics to collect outstanding credit debt from surviving family members. It’s generally a good idea to ask creditors for proof of any outstanding debt before paying. 02 - Collect Documents Collecting documents can be fairly straightforward, particularly if the deceased left all their vital financial papers in a single location. If the surviving family members cannot locate these documents, they can request the deceased’s credit report, which lists any accounts in the deceased’s name. 03 - Cease Additional Spending This is essential to prevent any debts in the deceased’s name from increasing further, even if there is another person authorized to make payments. Ceasing additional spending, including canceling any recurring subscriptions, also helps prevent unnecessary complications when negotiating with creditors. 04 - Inform Creditors Proactively contact the deceased’s creditors to look into options for negotiating the debt, and notify credit bureaus of the death. To complete this process, it’s useful to have several copies of the death certificate to share with insurance companies and creditors. Afterwards, ask to close all accounts in the deceased’s name, and request the credit bureaus freeze the deceased’s credit, preventing others from unlawfully getting credit in his or her name. 05 - Close The Estate Once all debt has been paid off, forgiven, or extinguished, the executor can officially close the estate. The process for doing this varies based on how assets and debts were held, so do not go into this part alone. Contact us to find out how we can support you. We Can Help Ensure Your Family Doesn’t Get Stuck With Your Debt Effective estate planning involves taking care of your affairs, and this includes ensuring your debts will be handled in such a way that your family isn’t left with a big mess or inadvertently forced into court. Consider scheduling a Family Wealth Planning Session with us to determine how we can help protect your assets and prevent creditors from reducing the gifts you want to leave your loved ones after death. Contact us today or e-mail lauren@kaplanestatelaw.com to learn more.

Business ownership is a fulfilling and exciting endeavor, but it also comes with rules, responsibilities, and reporting requirements that can be hard to track. If you own a small business or have a Trust that owns a business interest, you’ll need to comply with the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) come January. Beginning January 1, 2024, the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) will require small companies to disclose the names of any owners who hold a 25% or more ownership interest in the company, as well as any individuals who exercise significant control over the company's activities. This new rule also applies to Trusts that own or control a company. If you or your family own a business or have a Trust that owns a business, you’ll be required to file a report under the CTA. And, if you plan to create a new company next year, your reporting deadline could be as soon as 30 days after the date of its creation. There is a way to get more time to file the required report, but you need to act before the end of the year. In this blog, I’ll share how to get a year-long reporting extension for your business that can give you more time to gather the required information needed to file the CTA report. But before I tell you how to gain the extension, it’s important to understand what the CTA is and how it will affect your business. What The Corporate Transparency Act Means For Your Business The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) was enacted in 2020 to enhance corporate transparency and prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, and other financial crimes. By requiring businesses to report information about their owners and controllers, the Act seeks to make it easier to identify “shell” corporations – companies that don’t actually perform an active business or trade and which are often used to move money around illegally. To comply with the Act, certain businesses including some corporations and LLCs will need to disclose the names of anyone who owns 25% or more of the company and any members of the company who have “substantial control” over the company’s activities to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). This includes anyone who owns or controls a company through their Trust. In order to comply, a business must file an annual report with the following information on each owner or controller of the business: Business name and current business address State in which the business was formed and its Entity Identification Number (EIN) Owner/controller’s name, birth date, and address Photocopy of a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license or passport) of every direct or indirect owner or controller of the company If a company doesn’t file an annual report, it may be penalized with a $500 fine for every day the report is late and its owners could even face imprisonment for up to two years. What Businesses Need to Report Under The CTA? The new CTA rule applies to any company that is created by filing a formation document with the Secretary of State or a similar office, such as corporations and limited liability companies (LLCs). Since money laundering and terrorist financing are usually conducted using small businesses, the Act largely aims to collect information on these companies, so entrepreneurs and small business owners should take extra care to meet the filing requirements. Publicly traded companies, non-profits, and regulated companies like financial firms, accounting agencies, and banks are exempt from the rule. Large companies are also exempt if they have 20 or more full-time employees in the US and generate $5 million in sales. An LLC or corporation that isn’t actively performing a business or service is also exempt due to its inactivity. When Do Businesses Need to File Their Report and How Can You Extend Your Deadline? Here’s the thing about filing your annual report for the Corporate Transparency Act: If your company was created after January 1, 2024, you’ll need to file your report within 30 days of the company’s creation. But, if your company’s formation occurred on or before December 31, 2023, you have until January 1, 2025, to file its CTA report. So, if you already have a business entity created, you have until January 1, 2025, to submit your report. This means if you’re thinking of creating a new company or changing the entity structure of an existing company, doing so before January 1, 2024, will give you a year-long grace period to file the report. Otherwise, once January 1 rolls around, it’ll be too late to take advantage of this extension. Why does this extension matter? The extension provides a valuable window of time for business owners to understand the reporting requirements thoroughly, gather the necessary information, and engage with legal professionals to ensure they’re in compliance with the Act without the pressure of a 30-day deadline. The Act’s reporting rules seem straightforward, but the penalties for non-compliance can be substantial. Creating your new business entity by year-end provides a cushion against potential penalties and risks associated with overlooking or misunderstanding reporting requirements. It's a proactive step that gives your business the advantage of time. Helping You Make Strategic Moves for The Wellbeing of Your Family If you own a family business or you’re thinking of creating a new business entity soon, I encourage you to do it NOW before the end of the year so you can take advantage of the year-long window to file your Corporate Transparency Act report for existing businesses. And don’t wait until the end of December to get started, as we anticipate there will be a rush of new business entity filings at the end of December as business owners and their professionals rush to file their creation documents before the new year. If you need assistance filing your report or aren’t sure whether the CTA rule applies to your company, we can help. As your attorney, our goal is to guide your family through every stage of life and every change in the law through an ongoing relationship with you. Our approach to serving clients doesn’t end when the paperwork is filed. We keep in touch with you and keep you abreast of any changes in the law so you can have peace of mind knowing that your family and assets are well cared for now and in the future. Schedule a complimentary call with my office here or email me at lauren@kaplanestatelaw.com.

Like most people, you likely think estate planning is just one more task to check off your life’s endless “to-do” list. You can shop around and find a lawyer to create planning documents for you or create your own DIY plan using online documents. Then, you’ll put those documents into a drawer, mentally check estate planning off your to-do list, and forget about them. The problem is, estate planning is more than just a one-and-done type of deal. It will be worthless if your plan is not regularly updated when your assets, family situation, and laws change. Failing to update your plan can create problems that can leave your family worse off than if you’ve never created a plan. Will Your Plan Work When Your Family Needs It? We hear stories of failed plans from our clients all the time. In fact, outside of not creating any plan, one of the most common planning mistakes we encounter is when we get called by the loved ones of someone who has become incapacitated or died with a plan that no longer works. Yet by that point, it’s too late, and the loved ones left behind are forced to deal with the aftermath. We recommend you review your plan annually to ensure it’s up to date and immediately amend it following events like divorce, deaths, births, and inheritances. This is so important we’ve created proprietary systems designed to ensure these updates are made for all of our clients. You don’t need to worry about whether you’ve overlooked anything as your family, the law, and your assets change over time. Furthermore, because your plan is designed to protect and provide for your loved ones in the event of your death or incapacity, we aren’t just here to serve you—we’re here to serve your entire family. We take the time to get to know your family members and include them in the planning process so everyone affected by your plan is well aware of your latest planning strategies and why you made the choices you did. Unfortunately, many estate planning firms only engage with a part of the family when creating estate plans, leaving the spouse and other loved ones primarily out of the loop. The planning process works best when your loved ones are educated and engaged. We can even facilitate regular family meetings to keep everyone up-to-date. Built-In Systems To Keep Your Plan Current Our legal services are designed to make estate planning as streamlined and worry-free as possible for you and your family. We don’t just create legal documents and put the onus on you to ensure they stay updated and function as intended—we take care of that on our end. Specifically, we make sure your assets are properly inventoried and that your assets are correctly titled. Maintaining a regularly updated inventory of all your assets is one of the most vital parts of keeping your plan current. We’ll not only help you create a comprehensive asset inventory, we’ll make sure the list stays consistently updated throughout your lifetime. Start creating an inventory of everything you own to ensure your loved ones know what you have, where it is, and how to access it if something happens to you. From there, meet with us to incorporate your inventory into a comprehensive set of planning strategies that we’ll keep updated throughout your lifetime. To properly title assets held by a Trust, it’s not enough to list the assets you want to cover when you create a Trust. You have to transfer the legal title of certain assets—real estate, bank accounts, securities, brokerage accounts—to the Trust, known as “funding” the Trust, for them to be appropriately disbursed. While most lawyers will create a Trust for you, only some will ensure your assets are properly funded. We’ll not only make sure your assets are properly titled when you initially create your Trust, we’ll also ensure that any new assets you acquire throughout your life are inventoried and properly funded to your Trust. This will keep your assets from being lost and prevent your family from being inadvertently forced into court because your plan was never fully completed. For The Love Of Your Family With us as your attorney, our planning services go far beyond simply creating documents and then never seeing you again. We’ll develop a relationship with your family that lasts not only for your lifetime but for the lifetime of your children and their children if that’s your wish. We’ll support you in not only creating a plan that keeps your family out of court and out of conflict in the event of your death or incapacity, but we’ll also ensure your plan is regularly updated to make sure that it works and is there for your family when you cannot be. Contact us today to get started.

Making important decisions for aging parents can be a challenging task, but helping them obtain power of attorney (POA) documents can provide peace of mind and clarity in times of need. POAs enable individuals to make crucial decisions on behalf of their parents, such as managing their finances or making medical decisions, when they are unable to do so themselves due to age or illness. While it may be difficult to approach this topic with your parents, having these discussions early on can help ensure that you follow their wishes if their health changes over time. Starting the conversation with empathy and understanding can make all the difference. In this article, we'll explore how to obtain power of attorney for elderly parents and provide helpful tips on how to approach these discussions with warmth and care. After all, our ultimate goal is to ensure that your aging parents receive the best possible care and support. What’s a POA? According to the American Bar Association, POAs are legal documents, which vary between states, that provide a person, or several individuals, with the power to perform actions on behalf of someone else. The individual with a POA is an agent, whereas the principal refers to the person who is having their affairs managed by other individuals. Agents can only perform actions outlined within the POA document. Moreover, if someone agrees to a POA, they can still make their own decisions, providing they can still do so coherently. This means the agent cannot make exclusive decisions on behalf of the principal. POA Types Below is more information regarding the different POA types: General: For this POA, the agent can manage the principal’s affairs for a specific period, and the principal may revoke this at any point. These automatically finish if the principal becomes incapacitated and are common when an individual can still see to their affairs but prefers that someone else does this for them. Durable: These POAs continue after the principal becomes incapacitated and are more common when someone cannot manage their affairs. They can conclude in many ways, including once the principal dies or if the agent completes the conditions within the POA document. Springing: The terms in this POA do not take effect unless the principal becomes incapacitated. For this POA, the principal remains in control of their affairs until they lose capacity. Medical: These POAs allow agents to make the principal’s medical decisions. They last until the principal is competent and might also expire after a certain period mentioned in the document. Limited: These limit the agent’s ability to make decisions regarding certain tasks as outlined in the POA document, such as paying bills or selling a house. Limited POAs are usually temporary and end when the principal loses capacity. Why and When to Consider a POA For Your Aging Parents Here are the common reasons why individuals may consider getting a POA: Finance issues: POAs enable individuals to continue paying their parents’ bills and manage their finances when their parents struggle to fulfill these obligations. Serious illness: Having a POA for an elderly parent can be helpful as it allows them to focus on getting better and reduces the stresses associated with managing their affairs. Memory issues: Individuals commonly obtain a POA to manage their parents’ affairs if they develop dementia. It is helpful to note that it is necessary to obtain the POA before the parent loses their capacity. Surgery: When an elderly parent is undergoing surgery, it might be a good idea to obtain a POA so individuals can make decisions on their parents’ behalf and manage their affairs until they have fully recovered. Frequent travel: Some elderly parents like to travel frequently, so POAs can be useful here for ensuring their affairs remain in order while they are away. How Do I Help My Parents Choose a POA? When helping your parents consider who to name as POA, there are several things to keep in mind. The most crucial factor is trust - they must choose someone they can rely on to make decisions in their parents' best interests and follow their wishes. While family members are often chosen for this role, it's important to consider whether they are the best fit. If you think an objective outsider may be better suited to the task, such as a lawyer, accountant, or financial institution, this is also an option, although it may come with additional costs. Before agreeing to be a POA for your parents, it's essential to have a thorough discussion with them to understand their needs and preferences. Different types of POAs have different levels of responsibility, and it's important to clarify what your parents expect from you. If your parents need help with medical decisions, for example, this will require more involvement than if they only need assistance with financial decisions. Finally, it's essential to understand the financial implications of becoming a POA. You will need to keep your finances separate from your parents' and be prepared to justify any decisions you make to avoid legal issues. Helping your parents choose a POA is a significant decision, and it's essential to approach it with care and sensitivity. By having open and honest discussions and seeking objective advice, you can ensure that your parents receive the best possible care and support. Contact Us To Learn More About Obtaining A Power Of Attorney For Your Elderly Parents If you have elderly parents, it's understandable that discussing power of attorney (POA) may be a sensitive topic. However, starting these discussions as early as possible can bring peace of mind and clarity in the future. When approaching these conversations, it's important to consider your parents' health and well-being. Let them know that you're there to support them and that you will only use the POA powers if it's absolutely necessary. It's a promise that can help reassure your parents that you have their best interests at heart. Additionally, it may be helpful to seek the guidance of an experienced estate planning attorney. They can provide objective advice and alleviate any concerns that your parents may have. We understand that this is a difficult process, but we're here to help. Please feel free to contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you and your family or e-mail lauren@kaplanestatelaw.com.

If you have preferences about what happens to your digital footprint after your death, you need to take action. Otherwise, your online legacy will be determined for you—and not by you. If you have any online accounts, such as Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Apple, or Amazon, you have a digital legacy, and that legacy is yours to preserve or lose. Following your death, unless you’ve planned ahead, some of your online accounts will survive indefinitely, while others automatically expire after a period of inactivity, and still others have specific processes that let you give family and friends the ability to access and posthumously manage your accounts. In part one and two of this series, we covered the processes that Facebook, Google, Instagram, and Apple offer to manage your digital accounts following your death. Here in part three, we’ll conclude this series by covering the most effective methods for including digital assets in your estate plan. 5 Steps For Including Digital Assets In Your Estate Plan If you’re like most people, you likely own numerous digital assets, some of which may have significant monetary value, and others which have purely sentimental value. You may even have some digital assets that you’d prefer your family not access at all when you pass away. To ensure these assets are managed in exactly the way you want, take the following five steps to include this digital property in your estate plan. While many of these tasks you can do yourself, you’ll definitely want to consult with us to ensure your estate plan is properly prepared and works exactly as you intend. 01 – Create A Detailed Asset Inventory, With Access Instructions Start by creating a list of all digital assets you currently own. Then, for each asset, provide detailed information about where the asset is stored and how it can be accessed, including all of the relevant login information and passwords. If you have numerous different accounts, password manager programs, such as LastPass, can simplify this effort. If you own cryptocurrency, it’s essential that you prepare detailed instructions about how to access it, and ensure that one or more people you trust are aware that you own crypto and know how to find your instructions. Additionally, accessing cryptocurrency often requires complex user identification data and private keys. Moreover, to effectively manage these assets., the person you choose to control your crypto after your death will need to know how to use a variety of digital tools, such as online wallets, digital exchanges, and other programs. Given this, leaving a detailed “How To” guide can be an ideal way to ensure your loved ones can access your digital currency with minimal hassle. After you’ve created your inventory and access instructions, store these documents in a secure location, with your other estate planning documents, and ensure your fiduciary (executor or trustee) and lawyer know how to access these documents should something happen to you. Finally, back up any digital assets stored in the cloud to a computer, flash drive, or other physical device to make them easier to manage. And remember to update your digital asset inventory regularly to account for any new digital property you acquire or accounts you close. 02 – Add Your Digital Assets To Your Estate Plan The next step is adding your digital assets to your estate plan. As with other assets, you’ll typically pass your digital property to your loved ones through either a will or a revocable living trust. Meet with us to determine which estate planning vehicles are best suited for your particular assets and situation. From there, specify in your will or trust the person, or persons, you want to inherit each asset, and include detailed instructions for how you’d like each asset managed after your death, if that’s something you’re interested in. On the other hand, some assets might have no value to your family or be something you don’t want them to inherit or even access, so you should specify that those accounts be closed or deleted by your fiduciary. One thing you should NEVER do is provide the account information, logins, or passwords in your planning documents, where others might read them. This is especially true for wills, which become part of the public record upon your death. For maximum security, keep this sensitive information in a secure place, and let your fiduciary know how to find and use it. To make securing and managing your digital assets easier, consider using a digital management service, such as Directive Communication Systems, instead of trying to do everything yourself. It’s also a good idea to include terms in your estate plan allowing your fiduciary to hire an IT consultant if necessary, especially if your fiduciary doesn’t have much technical experience, or if you have particularly valuable digital property. Having a consultant available can enhance your fiduciary’s ability to manage and troubleshoot any challenges that come up. Alternatively, you can designate a separate co-fiduciary just to manage your digital assets. Known as a digital executor, this individual is specifically tasked with managing your digital assets upon your death. If you have a lot of digital property or you own highly encrypted digital assets, like cryptocurrency, this option can be an optimal solution for safeguarding your online property. 03 – Limit Access Your estate plan also needs to include instructions for your fiduciary about the specific level of access you want him or her to have. For example, do you want your executor or trustee to be able to read all your emails, texts, and social media posts before deleting them or passing them to your heirs? If there are any assets you want to limit and/or restrict access to, we can help you add the necessary terms to your estate plan to ensure your wishes will be honored and your privacy protected. 04 – Include Relevant Hardware Your estate plan should also include provisions for passing on any physical devices—smartphones, computers, tablets, flash drives—on which your digital assets are stored. Having this equipment will make it easier for your fiduciary to manage your online assets. And since the data contained on such hardware can be wiped clean, you can even leave this gear to someone other than the person who inherits the data stored on the devices. 05 – Check Service Providers’ Access Authorization Tools Review the terms and conditions for each of your online accounts and web-based service providers for how they handle your data after death. As discussed in the first two parts of this series, some platforms have features allowing you to give your family and friends the ability to access, manage, and delete your accounts after your death. If such functions are offered, use them to document the individual(s) you want to access and manage these accounts. Just make certain those you named to inherit your digital assets using the providers’ tools match the beneficiaries named in your estate plan. If not, the provider will probably give priority access to the person named with its tool, not your estate plan. Adapt Your Estate Plan To The Evolving Digital Universe As technology continues to evolve, it’s essential to adapt your estate plan to keep pace with these changes. As your attorney, we are aware of just how valuable your digital property can be, and our Life & Legacy Planning Process is designed to ensure all of your assets—digital or otherwise—are protected, preserved, and passed on seamlessly to your loved ones in the event of your death or incapacity. Furthermore, we can ensure you have the maximum level of privacy, and you stay in full compliance with the latest laws governing the ever-changing digital universe. Contact us today or e-mail lauren@kaplanestatelaw.com to get started.

If you have preferences about what happens to your digital footprint after your death, you need to take action. Otherwise, your online legacy will be determined for you—and not by you. If you have any online accounts, such as Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Apple, or Amazon, you have a digital legacy, and that legacy is yours to preserve or lose. Following your death, unless you’ve planned ahead, some of your online accounts will survive indefinitely, while others automatically expire after a period of inactivity, and still others have specific processes that let you give family and friends the ability to access and posthumously manage your accounts. Last week, in part one of this series, we covered the processes that Facebook and Google have in place to manage your digital accounts following your death. Here in part two, we’ll continue our discussion, covering how Instagram and Apple’s collection of online platforms handle your accounts once you log off for the final time. Instagram Given that Instagram is owned by Facebook, the photo and video-sharing social media platform’s processes for handling your account after your death are similar—but not entirely the same—as Facebook’s. As a reminder, Facebook allows you to name a legacy contact to handle your death, and Instagram gives you two options for managing your account after death: You can either have your account memorialized, or you can have it deleted. However, it’s your family—not you—that has the final say. This makes it all the more important that your loved ones are well-aware of your wishes for how you’d like this digital asset managed when you die. In order to have your account memorialized, Instagram requires a family member or friend to submit a special request form, along with proof of your death, such as your obituary or death certificate. Once your account is memorialized, the word "Remembering" appears next to your profile name, and your account will basically be frozen, appearing exactly as you left it before your death. All posts shared on your memorialized Instagram account will be preserved and shared with the same audience they were before your death. No one can log into your memorialized account, make changes to your posts, profile information, or settings. Additionally, your memorialized account will no longer appear in public Instagram forums, such as its Explore page. Alternatively, Instagram allows your account to be permanently deleted after your death. According to Instagram's policy, only family members can have your account deleted, and this requires a bit more effort than memorialization. To have your Instagram account permanently erased from cyberspace, your loved ones must not only submit a special form, but they must also supply your birth certificate, proof of death, as well as proof that they are your lawful representative under local law, the latter of which can take the form of a power of attorney document, a will, or an estate letter. Apple Devices & Services As you likely know well, all Apple devices and services require an Apple ID. This ID is used for everything from logging on to your iCloud files and making ‌App Store‌ purchases to tracking and finding your lost iPhone with the ‌FindMy app. Like Facebook, Apple lets you select a “Legacy Contact” to manage the data and devices connected to your Apple ID after your death. Your Legacy Contact can be anyone you choose, and you can even designate more than one Legacy Contact. The data your Legacy Contact(s) can access and manage includes items, such as photos, videos, messages, notes, files, contacts, calendar entries, downloaded apps, and backups of any devices stored in iCloud. Your Legacy Contact(s) will also be able to remove the Activation Lock from your devices, so they can personally use them, give them away, or sell them. However, your Legacy Contact(s) will NOT have access to your login or password information, your payment information, your iCloud email accounts, or any of your licensed media. This means that you can’t pass on your collection of music, movies, or apps, unless that media already exists on one of the devices you own. Before providing access, Apple reviews all requests made by your Legacy Contact(s). To gain access, your Legacy Contact(s) will need the access key provided when they were first nominated, as well as a copy of your death certificate and your date of birth. This makes it vital for your Legacy Contact(s) to print out a physical copy of their access key and safely store it, rather than relying on it being saved in your messages app or password manager. Once access is approved, your Legacy Contact(s) receives a special Apple ID to access your account. From then on, your old Apple ID and password will no longer work, and Activation Lock is removed from all devices using your Apple ID. From the time the first legacy account request is approved, your Legacy Contact(s) has three years to access your data and devices, after which your account is permanently deleted. It is important to note that without a Legacy Contact, Apple will not release any information to your heirs without a court order. That means that your loved ones would have to open a probate estate in order to access any digital assets held on your Apple devices. We're here to help Although you can manage many of the processes described here on your own, when it comes to preparing your estate plan, you should always work with an attorney. Using our Life & Legacy Planning Process, we’ll ensure that all of your digital assets, along with your more traditional forms of property and wealth, are preserved and passed on seamlessly to your loved ones in the event of your death or incapacity. And we will accomplish all of this while ensuring you have the maximum level of privacy possible. With this in mind, check back next week for part three, where we’ll conclude this series by offering an easy, five-step process for including digital assets in your estate plan. In the meantime, if you're ready to get started, click here to schedule a free 15 minute consultation, or e-mail lauren@kaplanestatelaw.com.