You can change your will anytime you want before you die. This includes the ability to revoke your own will. If you revoke a will without creating a new one, you will be treated like you never had a will and the rules of intestacy will govern. (What Happens If I Die Without a Will?) It’s even possible for an…
A Guide for When You Need a New Will
You’ve already got your important estate planning documents drafted: a will, power of attorney and advance directive. They’re signed, in a safe place, and you’ve had discussions with your loved ones about where they are how they should be used. But it’s been a few years. Do they need to be updated? Your will, advance directive and power of attorney…
Body Donation in Maryland
Estate planning really comes to making difficult choices and ensuring that those wishes are followed out. You need to make some of those decisions now because you may not be around or able to make them later. One of those important decisions is what you want to happen to your body after you die. You may have a place important to…
The New Maryland Trust Act
The Maryland legislature recently enacted a new set of laws, “The Maryland Trust Act,” that went into effect January 1, 2015. In large part, these new laws do not change existing law, but they help clarify existing law in put it into place. Prior to the Maryland Trust Act, much of the law on trusts was in the form of…
What Happens if You Don’t Have a Advance Directive
You’ve probably heard horror stories about people who didn’t have advance directives or living wills: Terri Schiavo is the most high-profile example. In Maryland, not having an advance directive means that someone you did not choose could be making important health care decisions that could prolong or shorten your life. An advance directive typically consists of two parts: (1) a health…