Paul O. Dillon, Attorney at Law

Ex-Girlfriend Could Own Your Family Home

The friend and the girlfriend agreed when they split that she would quitclaim her interest in the house to the friend, in exchange for the amount she contributed to the home. She signed a document conveying her ownership in the home to the friend, released her interest in the property and agreed not to claim any future right to the property, as described in the article “Cautionary tale involving claims on deceased owner’s home illustrates importance of estate planning” from The Washington Post.

When the friend died, it was learned that he had never changed his will and the ex-girlfriend now wants the house. This is a textbook example of why it is so important to review and update estate plans regularly in general and especially when a major life change occurs, like a breakup for divorce.

An estate plan typically includes a will, a living will, powers of attorney for financial matters, powers of attorney for healthcare and if appropriate, trusts. All of these documents need to be kept up to date to avoid this kind of nightmare situation.

The will is used to direct what happens to a person’s assets at the time the document was finalized. The will is the “last word” in what that person wanted to happen. Creating a legally binding will takes some time and requires a number of steps. It starts with an estate planning attorney creating the will, discussing the person’s wishes, getting details on what the person owns and then going through a series of legal procedures.

The will must be signed before a notary and witnesses, with the number of witnesses varying by state. In some cases, each page of the will must be initialed, and the last page of the will gets a notary’s stamp and the signature of the witnesses. The purpose is to make sure the document truly reflects the person’s wishes and to ensure that the person who signs it is of sound mind—that is, they have legal capacity to determine their wishes and sign the document.

The seriousness of the will is why it prevails over almost everything (except for beneficiary designations). When couples divorce and neglect to change their wills, depending on state law, the will may supersede their divorce agreement, and an ex-spouse could end up with everything.

In this case, the ex-girlfriend signed a document giving up her claim to the home, but the court cannot tell from that document whether the friend truly wished her not to get the house. There’s no way to know if he intentionally did not change his will, or if he just forgot. The will is the final word, and it is likely the ex-girlfriend has a legal right to the home.

There are some wrinkles: if the friend put his children on the title as joint tenants with rights of survivorship, the court will have to consider this in making a decision. It’s not usually recommended to do this but if this step were taken, it would give the court another factor to consider.

Reference: The Washington Post (Nov. 23, 2020) “Cautionary tale involving claims on deceased owner’s home illustrates importance of estate planning”

How Does Probate affect Real Estate Transactions?

For a family whose 91-year-old mother lives in her home, has a will and has appointed two sisters as Power of Attorney and executors of her estate, the question of handling the transfer of the home is explored in a recent article from the Herald Tribune, “Transfer title now or go through probate in the future?”

The family wasn’t sure if it made more sense to transfer the title to her two daughters and son while she was still living, or let the children handle the transfer as part of the estate. The brother may wish to purchase the home after the mother passes, as he lives with his mother.

If nothing is done, the house will be part of the probated estate. A case will have to be opened, a representative will be appointed by the court (usually the executor of the will) and then the executor can sell assets in the estate, close accounts and deal with the IRS and the Social Security Administration. The probate process can be time-consuming and expensive, depending on where the mother lives.

There are a number of steps that could be taken to simplify things. The mom’s assets can be held jointly, so they pass to the surviving owner, or a trust can be created, and her assets be titled to the trust, so they pass automatically to beneficiaries.

The issue of the house becomes a little more complicated because there are so many options. If the house has appreciated significantly over the years, keeping it in the estate will minimize taxes that have to be paid if and when it is sold.

For example, let’s say the house has increased in value by $250,000. Under current tax law, the mother can exclude up to $250,000 in profits from the sale of the home. This is the exclusion before the sale of a primary residence where the owner has lived in the home for two out of the last five years.

If she signs a quitclaim deed now to give the home to her three children, the IRS will consider this a gift to the three children. Her cost basis in the property (what she paid for the home, plus the cost of any material or structural improvements) will be transferred to the children. However, when the children go to sell the property, they won’t have that same $250,000 exclusion. The three siblings will have to pay federal income or capital gains tax on the same of the home.

However, if the home remains in the mother’s estate when she passes, the siblings inherit the home at the stepped-up basis. In other words, the value of the house (for estate tax purposes) will rise to the current market value at the time of her death, and not the value when she paid for the house. If the children decide to sell the house immediately, there won’t be any profit and there won’t be any taxes.

Depending on the state’s laws, the children might be able to use a transfer on death deed that would let the property transfer automatically to heirs upon the mother’s death. The siblings then inherit the property at the stepped-up value.

Here’s another question to consider: how does the cost of setting up trusts and transfer on death deeds compare to the estimated cost of probating the estate?

This family, and others in the same situation, should speak with an estate planning attorney to evaluate their options. The siblings in this case need to clarify whether their brother wants to buy the house and if he is able to do so. The mom then needs to make a decision, while she is still able to do so, because after all, it’s still her home.

Reference: Herald-Tribune (Nov. 7, 2020) “Transfer title now or go through probate in the future?”

Reviewing Your Estate Plan Protects Goals, Family

Transferring the management of assets if and when you are unable to manage them yourself because of disability or death is the basic reason for an estate plan. This goes for people with $100 or $100 million. You already have an estate plan, because every state has laws addressing how assets are managed and who will inherit your assets, known as the Laws of Intestacy, if you do not have a will created. However, the estate plan created by your state’s laws might not be what you want, explains the article “Auditing Your Estate Plan” appearing in Forbes.

To take more control over your estate, you’ll want to have an estate planning attorney create an estate plan drafted to achieve your goals. To do so, you’ll need to start by defining your estate planning objectives. What are you trying to accomplish?

• Provide for a surviving spouse or family
• Save on income taxes now
• Save on estate and gift taxes later
• Provide for children later
• Bequeath assets to a charity
• Provide for retirement income, and/or
• Protect assets and beneficiaries from creditors.

A review of your estate plan, especially if you haven’t done so in more than three years, will show whether any of your goals have changed. You’ll need to review wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare proxies, beneficiary designation forms, insurance policies and joint accounts.

Preparing for incapacity is just as important as distributing assets. Who should manage your medical, financial and legal affairs? Designating someone, or more than one person, to act on your behalf, and making your wishes clear and enforceable with estate planning documents, will give you and your loved ones security. You are ready, and they will be ready to help you, if something unexpected occurs.

There are a few more steps, if your estate plan needs to be revised:

• Make the plan, based on your goals,
• Engage the people, including an estate planning attorney, to execute the plan,
• Have a will updated and executed, along with other necessary documents,
• Re-title assets as needed and complete any changes to beneficiary designations, and
• Schedule a review of your estate plan every few years and more frequently if there are large changes to tax laws or your life circumstances.

Reference: Forbes (Sep. 23, 2020) “Auditing Your Estate Plan”

When Should I Start My Estate Planning?

Only 42% of Americans have a will or other estate planning documents, according to a 2017 Caring.com study. Among parents of children under 18, only 36% have created a will.

USA Today’s recent article, “Estate planning: 6 steps to ensure your family is financially ready for when you die,” explains that if you die without a will, state laws will decide what happens to your property or who should be legally responsible for minor children. That might be OK in some circumstances, but in others, a grandchild with special needs might not receive the resources you want him to have, or an estranged family member might get your house.

For some reason, people believe that if they don't do anything, things will “work out.” They often do not. Here is what you should consider:

Create a will. This document states who should get your money and possessions, as well as who would become a guardian to your minor children, if both parents die.

A living will. This legal document states what medical procedures you want or don’t want, if you’re incapacitated and can’t speak for yourself, such as whether to continue life-sustaining treatment. Powers of attorney let you appoint someone you trust to make legal, financial and health care decisions for you, if you are unable.

Trust. This is a legal entity that holds any property you want to leave to your beneficiaries. With a trust, your family won’t have to go through probate. Trusts also let you to set up instructions for how and when property is distributed. A trustee will manage the trust. Make sure you let people know, when you’ve designated them as a trustee. Name a secondary trustee, in case the primary trustee cannot or will not serve.

Beneficiaries. If you have investment accounts and retirement plans like a 401(k), make certain that the individual you’ve listed as the beneficiary is the person you want to receive those funds.  Remember to appoint a contingency or secondary beneficiary, just in case.

Work with an experienced attorney. Estate planning can be complicated, so get some professional legal help.

End-of-life planning isn’t really fun, but it’s necessary, if you want to have full control over your life and your assets.

Reference: USA Today (April 1, 2019) “Estate planning: 6 steps to ensure your family is financially ready for when you die”

What Are the Common Myths of Powers of Attorney?

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s recent article entitled “Five common myths about powers of attorney” explains away some misconceptions about powers of attorney.

1. There’s just one uniform power of attorney document. No, there are many types. However, they can vary by state. Talk to an experienced estate planning attorney to draft a document to meet your specific needs.
2. It’s OK to sign a power of attorney, even if I lack mental capacity. No, to be valid, the person granting the rights (the principal) must have mental capacity to execute the document. A power of attorney can be valid for an individual with mental incapacity, provided the document was signed before the occurrence. That’s a key reason to have a durable power of attorney in place.
3. A durable power of attorney and healthcare power of attorney are the same thing. No, a durable power of attorney grants rights to an agent to act on your behalf, regarding your assets. These rights can be general to all assets for an unlimited time, or the POA can be limited as to the time frame and assets included. A medical power of attorney grants an agent the authority to make medical decisions on your behalf.
4. Senior citizens are the ones who need a power of attorney. Not true, because accidents and unforeseen illness can strike at any age. You need to have a plan in place to ease the burden of one aspect of an already stressful and complicated situation. Don’t assume your spouse has automatic power to make decisions on your behalf. It can be much more difficult, unless you have given them the power of attorney.
5. A power of attorney can be used to handle my relative’s estate at death. Again, not true. Although there are other ways to structure an estate to avoid probate, a power of attorney isn’t one of them. A power of attorney lets the agent to stand in the place of the principal to make decisions. It doesn’t continue beyond the death of the principal.

If you avoid these common misconceptions, a power of attorney can be a very useful tool to meet your needs.

Reference: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (March 15, 2019) “Five common myths about powers of attorney”

How Do I Make the Right Estate Planning Moves When I Divorce?

The Journal Enterprise explains in its recent article, “5 Estate Planning Moves If You Are Getting Divorced,” that the following tips will help you get your plans in order, so your final wishes will be carried out later.

Medical Power of Attorney. This is also called a healthcare proxy. This person is named to make decisions on your medical care, if you’re ill or injured and can’t state your medical care decisions. Unless you make the change, your ex-spouse will have this right.

Financial Power of Attorney. Like a healthcare proxy, this is someone you select to take charge, if you become incapacitated. This person has authority over your financial decisions, and it means they have the authority to pay your bills, access your bank and investment accounts, collect and cash your paychecks and make financial decisions for you. You want to be certain that your assets are protected, and your financial obligations are met, while you’re unable to act on your own behalf. Most people name a spouse, but if you get divorced and don’t switch this designation, your spouse will still be your financial power of attorney and will retain access to your finances.

Create a List of Things to Change After Your Divorce. A divorce can freeze some assets and accounts, which remains in effect until it’s finalized. Therefore, you won’t be able to change the beneficiary on life insurance policies, pensions and other types of accounts. Ask your estate planning attorney to find out exactly what accounts will be affected. Once you know which ones are frozen, you should make a list to ensure you won’t neglect to change them, when the divorce is finalized.

Modify Your Will. In some states, you may not be permitted to create a new will, but your attorney should still be able to help you make the necessary changes. You’ll want to review your heirs. If you do have minor children and you have sole custody, you may want to designate another person as their guardian. If you named your spouse as executor of your will, you may want to consider changing that.

Modify Your Trust. You may have a revocable living trust, in addition to a will. One of the advantages of a revocable trust is that it doesn’t go through probate, so your heirs get a bigger inheritance more quickly. If you have a revocable trust, talk to your attorney about changing it after your divorce.

If you don’t make these changes at the time of your divorce, your assets may not go to the right beneficiaries, or your ex-spouse may end up with rights you didn’t intend.

Reference: Journal Enterprise (March 20, 2019) “5 Estate Planning Moves If You Are Getting Divorced”

If You’re Single with No Kids and Approaching Retirement, You Still Need an Estate Plan

You may have been busy building your career, socking away money and enjoying your time off with weekends away and exotic vacations.

Forbes’ recent article, “5 Estate Planning Strategies For Singles,” says that, as you move closer to retirement, you should seriously think about your estate plan. Here are some important components:

Power of attorney and a health care proxy. These are used while you’re still alive. They let you choose who will make important financial and medical decisions for you, if you can’t make them for yourself. A single person must be sure that she’s named someone she trusts to make these decisions. When you die, the power of attorney and health care proxy are no longer valid, so you also need to create a will and trust.

Will. You need to designate an executor of your estate. This individual will take care of your affairs after you die, probate your will if necessary and pay any income and estate taxes. The beneficiary of your will can also be a revocable trust that you create during your lifetime.

Revocable trust. While you are alive, you should be named the primary beneficiary. You may also want to provide benefits for your significant other, especially if you live together and you’re the primary breadwinner. Name the beneficiaries who’ll receive the assets at your death. You also need to name a successor trustee to manage the trust assets, in the event you are unable to manage them yourself. The successor trustee will play an important role, if you’re incapacitated. As a single person, naming someone to manage the assets for you is an important part of your planning. If you fund the trust during your lifetime and are later incapacitated, the successor trustee can use the funds for your care.

Estate taxes. Many singles don’t mind if their beneficiaries receive less, and the government receives more. However, if you do care, there are many planning options to consider, such as charitable giving as a way to reduce taxes and give back to those charitable institutions that have played an important role in your life. You can also make lifetime gifts to family and friends.

If you’re that single person without an estate plan, don’t wait until the last minute. Otherwise, it will be too late.

Reference: Forbes (March 15, 2019) “5 Estate Planning Strategies For Singles”

How Do I Prepare my Parents for Alzheimer’s?

Can your mom just sell her house, despite her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s?

The (Bryan TX) Eagle reports in the recent article “MENTAL CLARITY: Shining a light on the capacity to sign Texas documents” that the concept of “mental capacity” is complicated. There’s considerable confusion about incapacity. The article explains that different legal documents have a different degree of required capacity. The bar for signing a Power of Attorney, a Warranty Deed, a Contract, a Divorce Decree, or a Settlement Agreement is a little lower than for signing a Will. The individual signing legal documents must be capable of understanding and appreciating what he or she is signing, as well as the effect of the document.

The answer the question of whether the mom can sign the deed to her house over to the buyer.  is likely “yes.” She must understand that she’s selling her house, and that, once the document is signed, the house will belong to someone else. A terminal diagnosis or a neurodegenerative disease doesn’t automatically mean that an individual can’t sign legal documents. A case-by-case assessment is required to see if the document will be valid.

The fact that a person is unable to write his or her name doesn’t mean they lack capacity. If a senior can’t sign her name (possibly due to tremors or neurodegeneration), she can sign with an “X”. She could place her hand on top of someone else’s and allow the other person to sign her name. If this is completed before witnesses and the notary, that would be legal.

A hard part of Alzheimer’s is that a person’s mental clarity can come and go. Capacity can be fluid in the progress of a neurodegenerative or other terminal disease. Because of this, the best time to sign critical documents is sooner rather than later. No one can say the “window of capacity” will remain open for a certain amount of time.

Some signs should prompt you to move more quickly. These include things like the following:

• Short-term memory loss;
• Personality changes (e.g., unusual anger);
• Confusing up or forgetting common-usage words and names; and
• Disorientation and changes in depth perception.

Any of the signs above could be caused by dementia or many other problems. Talk to your parent’s physician and an elder law attorney. He or she can discuss the options, document your parent’s legal capacity, and get the right documents drafted quickly.

Reference: The (Bryan TX) Eagle (February 7, 2019) “MENTAL CLARITY: Shining a light on the capacity to sign Texas documents”

What Do Parents Need to Know About Writing a Will?

Who wants to think about their own mortality? No one. However, it’s a fact of life. Failing to plan for your eventual death by preparing a will—especially as a parent—can result in issues for your loved ones. If you die without a will, it can mean conflict among your survivors, as they attempt to see how best to divide up your assets.

Fatherly’s recent article, “How to Write a Will: 8 Tips Every Parent Needs to Know” says that families can battle over big assets like cars to small assets like a collection of supposedly rare books. They can fight over anything and everything. Therefore, remember to prepare and sign a last will and testament to dispose of your property the way you want.

Dying without a will means your estate will be disposed of according to the intestacy laws. That could leave your loved ones in the lurch. For instance, in some states, your spouse may only get half your estate, with the remainder going to your parents.

Writing a will is essential, and you should not try to do it yourself. Instead, hire an experienced estate planning lawyer. Along with this, keep these items in mind.

Plan for Every Scenario. When doing your estate planning, consider the various scenarios and contingencies that can happen after you’re gone. A well prepared will includes when and where you want your assets to go. Be wise in how to distribute your assets, to whom they will be going and the timing.

Family Dynamics. You must be very specific when drafting up a will, especially if family circumstances are unique, such when there are children from previous marriages who aren’t legally adopted by a spouse. They could be disinherited. Work with an attorney to make sure they receive what you intend with specific details. If you and your partner aren’t legally married, your significant other could find himself or herself disinherited from your assets after you’re dead.

Designating Your Children’s Guardian. If you don’t name a guardian for your children (in cases of either single parenthood or where both parents pass away), the state will determine who gets your children.

Specificity. Your will is a chance to say who gets what. If you want your brother to get the baseball card collection, you should write it down in your will or it’s not enforceable. In some states, you can attach a written list of these personal items to your will.

Health Care. Begin planning your will when you’re healthy so that, in the event of disaster, you will have a financial power of attorney and a health care agent in place. If you become too ill to make decisions yourself, you’ll need to appoint someone to make those decisions for you.

Rules for Minors. Minors can own property, but they’ll have no control over it until they turn 18. If parents leave their home to their minor child, the surviving spouse will have issues if they want to sell it. Likewise, if a child is named the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, IRA, or 401(k), those assets will go into a protected account.

Don’t Do It Yourself. This cannot be emphasized enough. It’s tempting to create a will from a generic form online. But this may be a recipe for disaster. If your will is drafted poorly, your family will suffer the consequences. Generic forms found online are just that—generic. Families are not generic. Work with an experienced estate planning attorney to help you with what can be a complex process.

Reference: Fatherly (February 6, 2019) “How to Write a Will: 8 Tips Every Parent Needs to Know”

When Do I Need a Power of Attorney?

Estate planning is important. Signing a power of attorney can be essential for those seeking to safeguard their financial resources and other assets.

The Tri-County Times explains in its article, “Power of attorney protects loved ones,” that a POA is granted to an "attorney-in-fact" or "agent." It gives that individual the legal authority to make decisions for an incapacitated "principal." The laws for creating a power of attorney vary based on the state.  However, there are some general similarities.

Many people think their families will be able to intercede, if an event occurs that leaves them incapacitated and unable to make decisions for themselves. That’s not always true. If a person isn’t named as an agent or granted legal access to financial, medica, and other information, family members may be left out. Further, the government may appoint someone to make certain decisions for an individual, if no POA is named.

Almost everyone can benefit from establishing a power of attorney.

A signed power of attorney will remove the legal obstacles that may arise in the event that a person is no longer physically or mentally capable of managing certain tasks.

A power of attorney is a broad term that covers a wide range of decision-making. The main types of POA are a general power of attorney, health care power of attorney, durable power of attorney and special power of attorney.

The responsibilities of some of these overlap, but there are some legal differences. For instance, a durable power of attorney relates to all the appointments involved in general, special and health care powers of attorney being made "durable"—meaning that the document will remain in effect or take effect if a person becomes mentally incompetent.

Certain powers of attorney may expire within a certain time period.

An agent appointed through POA may be able to handle many tasks, depending on what powers are granted in the document. They include banking transactions, filing tax returns, managing government-supplied benefits, deciding on medical treatments and executing advanced health care directives.

Although a power of attorney document can be completed on your own, sitting down with an experienced estate planning attorney is preferred to better understand the intricacies of this vital document and ensuring that it will be legally binding and properly prepared.

Reference: Tri-County (MI) Times (January 24, 2019) “Power of attorney protects loved ones”