Author Archives: Larry Bray
Safety Deposit Boxes and Your Estate Plan
In today’s age, much of what we own is on the cloud, or online, or in some kind of digital form. Because of that, it can be easy to forget that some people still have and use safety deposit boxes. In many cases, when estate plans are made, the safety deposit boxes get left… Read More »
Don’t Put These Things in Your Will
When we think of things that should be in a will, we of course think of what should be included. But there are actually some things that it is best to leave out of a will. Sometimes, having too much information can cause as many problems as having too little can cause. Most of… Read More »
Blind Trusts Have a Limited, But Beneficial Use
In the course of planning an estate, or perhaps in a probate case, you may have heard of the many types of trusts that there are. But one type of trust that you may not have heard of, is the blind trust. It made some news during the 2016 election cycle, because of Donald… Read More »
Second Liens and Foreclosures: Investors Beware
Although the days of mass foreclosures are thankfully over, that doesn’t mean that buying foreclosed property isn’t a good idea. It certainly can be a good investment and a good way to make good money. But one thing that many investors of foreclosed property aren’t aware of, is how second liens in foreclosure can… Read More »
When an Estate Plan Conflicts with an LLC’s Operating Agreement, Which Wins?
If you have a business, and particularly an LLC, that LLC is probably governed by what is known as an operating agreement. The operating agreement is the guidebook for your LLC—it details everything about the rules, operation and management of your LLC. It also usually states, how the LLC will pass on, should you… Read More »
As of 2021 It Became Easier to Have a Home-Based Business
In the COVID shutdowns of 2020, many people transitioned their business, to start running things from home. Or, having been laid off of work, many decided to start their own home based businesses. But a lot of business owners ran into one similar problem: Many local zoning ordinances prohibited home based businesses: if you… Read More »
Personal Injury Cases as Probate Assets: How Do They Work?
Of all the assets and property that you may think of when thinking of property that is part of someone’s estate, there is one asset that often is overlooked—personal injury claims. Often, people pass away after they are injured, or even while a personal injury claim is pending in court. A Big Dilemma The… Read More »
1031 Exchanges Can Help You Flip Real Estate
So you have it figured out: you’re going to make money flipping real estate. Buy, fix up, and sell for a profit. All of the profit that you make off one deal, you roll over into the other. Except you can’t roll everything you make in one deal into another. That’s because all of… Read More »
Elective Shares and Surviving Spouses in the Probate Process
When you make or create a will or estate plan, you assume it is solid, and that your wishes, as expressed in that plan, will be carried out to the letter. And that is mostly true…except for one area where your will or estate plan can be overridden: the elective share. What is an… Read More »
Collecting a Judgment? Exemptions Can Make it a Difficult Task
If you are collecting a judgment, or someone owes you money and you have a judgment for that money, you may think it’s an easy process to collect what you owe. But if you are going after an “average Joe,” that is, someone who is generally middle class, and may have some but not… Read More »
