What If I Can’t Find My Loved One’s Documents?

If a loved one has recently died or become mentally incapacitated, finding the person’s estate planning documents is essential. The estate planning process and associated documents are critical to making decisions on the loved one’s behalf, gaining access to accounts, and discovering Continue reading

Including Noncitizens in Your Estate Planning

With our society becoming increasingly mobile and international travel becoming more affordable than ever before, families and family-like relationships have steadily grown far more diverse in terms of citizenship. It is no longer uncommon for spouses from different countries to retain Continue reading

My Loved One Has Died: As an Heir or Beneficiary, Do I Need an Attorney?

You just found out that your favorite aunt, Aunt Melba, has died. In the midst of your grief and sadness, you receive a notice from the attorney handling Aunt Melba’s affairs stating that you are a beneficiary. Your best friend advises you to get an attorney. What should you do? Will Continue reading

Handling the Legal Affairs of an Estranged Noncitizen Spouse at Death

As the world becomes more of a global community, it is no longer uncommon for married couples to maintain different citizenships. While a difference in citizenship alone can present complexities from an everyday tax perspective, another set of challenges arises when a noncitizen spouse Continue reading

Can Dual Citizenship Ruin Your Estate Plan?

In early 2020, married actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson became honorary citizens of Greece.  The president of Greece bestowed this honor upon them due in large part to their humanitarian work in the country after a deadly wildfire swept through Athens in 2018. Hanks and Wilson spend Continue reading

A Tale of Two Celebrities: Chadwick Boseman and Eddie Van Halen

The death of an iconic figure can sometimes impact us deeply because it reminds us of our shared humanity. With a celebrity’s passing, we realize that death is an equalizer. It also reminds us of the importance of estate planning to protect a person’s money and property. Estate planning Continue reading

You Inherited a Retirement Account: Now What?

For decades, common financial planning wisdom has encouraged almost all American workers to maximize their contributions to qualified retirement accounts. Indeed, doing so can be a powerful way to reduce your current income tax liability, grow your savings exponentially tax-free, Continue reading

What to Do When a Loved One Dies Abroad

The death of a loved one can be one of the most disorienting life events. But if the loved one dies while traveling in a foreign country, the emotional and bureaucratic burdens can multiply exponentially.

Contact the United States Bureau of Consular Affairs

If foreign local authorities Continue reading