Legal Assist - Legal Resources - Ferguson EAP

Access to Online Accounts: Helping Your Executor and Loved Ones

Make sure your executor or another trusted person can find the passwords and usernames for your digital accounts.

Advice to Trustees: Get Along With Beneficiaries

A trustee's job easier is made easier by a friendly relationship with beneficiaries.

As sole agent for my moms durable power of attorney for finances, must I report to my brother?

To know whether you are legally required to provide financial reports to anyone, including your brother, turn to the power of attorney document itself.

Avoiding Probate with Joint Ownership

Learn how joint ownership of property helps in avoiding probate.

Avoiding Probate: The Small Estate

Learn probate shortcuts or even how to avoid probate altogether for small estates.

Claiming Pensions, Veterans, and Other Benefits: Information for Executors and Beneficiaries

How surviving family members can get all available benefits after a loved one dies.

Claiming Wages After a Family Member Dies

When a breadwinner dies, surviving family members may have an urgent need for the wages that person had earned before his or her death.

Conservatorships and Adult Guardianships

Learn about conservatorships and guardianships for elders or other adults.

Do I Need Life Insurance?

Not everyone needs life insurance. Find out whether or not you do.

Do I Need More Than a Will?

Learn whether you need a trust, power of attorney, or health care directive in addition to a will.

Durable Financial Power of Attorney: How it Works

The durable financial power of attorney is a simple way to arrange for someone to handle your finances.

Estate and Gift Tax FAQ

Get informed about estate and gift tax laws with this easy introduction.

Estate Tax: Will Your Estate Have to Pay?

Only some estates, larger than $5 million, owe federal estate tax.

Final Arrangements FAQ

Planning some of the details of your burial or cremation and your memorial service can be a great relief to your survivors.

Financial Powers of Attorney: Do You Need One?

Almost everyone can benefit from a durable power of attorney for finances.

Foreclosure FAQ

Avoid or delay foreclosure with short sales, deeds in lieu of foreclosure, bankruptcy, and other tactics.

Grounds for Challenging a Will

It's rare, but courts can toss out a will if it doesn't meet certain requirements.

Help Your Executor: Secured Places and Passwords

Does your executor know how to find the things you've hidden?

Helping an Elder Make a Power of Attorney

Here's how to help an elderly loved one make a financial or medical power of attorney.

How Beneficiaries Can Claim Life Insurance and Social Security Benefits

Access life insurance, annuity funds, and social security benefits.

How Beneficiaries Can Claim Payable-on-Death Assets

Here's how inheritors can record ownership of POD assets left to them.

How Is an Estate Settled If Theres No Will: Intestate Succession

Intestate succession controls who inherits property if no will exists.

How Joint Owners Can Transfer Survivorship Property After Death

How to document the transfer of property held in joint tenancy and other kinds of survivorship property.

How Living Trusts Avoid Probate

Here are the basics on avoiding probate with living trusts.

How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

What to consider when determing the amount of life insurance tobuy.

How to Avoid Probate

Learn the most popular ways of avoiding probate.

Inheritance Rights

Your closest relatives may have a right to claim part of your estate.

Living Will, Power of Attorney, or Advance Directive?

These documents direct your health care if you're unable to communicate your wishes.

Making a Will: Are Lawyers Optional?

Most people don't need a lawyer to make their will. Here's why.

Planning Your Funeral or Memorial Service

Written funeral plans will spare your family worry and confusion.

Practical Estate Planning: Organize Your Documents

Help your family and make your executor's job easier bygetting your paperwork in order.

Preventing Challenges to Your Financial Power of Attorney

These tips may ensure that your financial power of attorney is accepted.

Probate FAQ

You've heard that you should avoid probate but why? Here are the basics.

Providing for Your Pet After You Die

Make formal arrangements for the care of your pet after you die here's how.

Real Estate Terminology for Home Sellers

Learn key real estate terms involved in selling a house.

Reduce Estate Tax by Making Gifts

Making gifts during your life can provide you with tax savings and more.

Revoking a Will

Want to revoke your will? The best way is to make a new will.

Settling an Estate: Does The Will Appear Valid?

Understand the basic requirements of a valid will before you rely on it to wrap up the estate.

Settling an Estate: When Executors Should Take a Second Look at the Will

Certain provisions in the will may raise questions. What should executors watch out for?

Should You Accept the Job of Executor to Settle an Estate?

Are you qualified to be an executor and do you want to do the job?

Special Needs Trusts

Use a trust to leave money to a loved one with a disability without jeopardizing government benefits.

State and Local Health and Safety Laws

Many states and municipalities have laws that mandate a certain level of safety in the workplace

Tax-Saving AB Trusts

Wealthy married couples get a big tax break when it comes to the federal gift/estate tax.

The Durable Power of Attorney: Health Care and Finances

Understand medical and financial powers of attorney and why youneed to prepare both.

The Living Will and Power of Attorney for Health Care: An Overview

It's smart to make documents setting forth your wishes for health care in case you are ever unable to speak for yourself.

The Prepaid Funeral and Its Perils

You should be extremely cautious about funeral prepayment.

The Simple Will: No Frills, No Fuss, No Anxiety

A basic will may be all you need.

The Trustees Job: The First Six Months

If you take over as trustee of a living trust, here's what to expect early on.

Transfer Your Life Insurance and Decrease Your Estate Tax

If you don't own your life insurance policy, it's not part of yourtaxable estate.

Trusts: Should You Serve as Trustee?

You've been chosen to manage a trust. Do you want the job?

Using Roth IRAs to Avoid Probate

Roth IRAs are a great way to save and a great way to avoid probate.

Vacation Homes: Keeping Them in the Family

Good planning around your family cottage or vacation home can avoid disputes and forced sales.

What a Will Wont Do

A will isn't the place to handle certain kinds of property orissues.

What Do My Living Will and Power of Attorney for Health Care Cover?

Medical issues to address in your living will and power of attorney for health care.

What Does an Executor Do?

Settling an estate, in or out of probate court.

When Your Parent Loses a Mate: How to Help

If your parent loses a life partner, you can provide both emotional and practical support.

Why Avoid Probate?

Avoiding probate is a good idea.

Why You May Not Need a Living Trust

A living trust is an excellent way to avoid probate. But do you really need one?

Explore more about Estate Law through these resources

Access to Online Accounts: Helping Your Executor and Loved Ones

Advice to Trustees: Get Along With Beneficiaries

As sole agent for my moms durable power of attorney for finances, must I report to my brother?

Avoiding Probate with Joint Ownership

Avoiding Probate: The Small Estate

Claiming Pensions, Veterans, and Other Benefits: Information for Executors and Beneficiaries

Claiming Wages After a Family Member Dies

Conservatorships and Adult Guardianships

Do I Need Life Insurance?

Do I Need More Than a Will?

Durable Financial Power of Attorney: How it Works

Estate and Gift Tax FAQ

Estate Tax: Will Your Estate Have to Pay?

Final Arrangements FAQ

Financial Powers of Attorney: Do You Need One?

Foreclosure FAQ

Grounds for Challenging a Will

Help Your Executor: Secured Places and Passwords

Helping an Elder Make a Power of Attorney

How Beneficiaries Can Claim Life Insurance and Social Security Benefits

How Beneficiaries Can Claim Payable-on-Death Assets

How Is an Estate Settled If Theres No Will: Intestate Succession

How Joint Owners Can Transfer Survivorship Property After Death

How Living Trusts Avoid Probate

How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

How to Avoid Probate

Inheritance Rights

Living Will, Power of Attorney, or Advance Directive?

Making a Will: Are Lawyers Optional?

Planning Your Funeral or Memorial Service

Practical Estate Planning: Organize Your Documents

Preventing Challenges to Your Financial Power of Attorney

Probate FAQ

Providing for Your Pet After You Die

Real Estate Terminology for Home Sellers

Reduce Estate Tax by Making Gifts

Revoking a Will

Settling an Estate: Does The Will Appear Valid?

Settling an Estate: When Executors Should Take a Second Look at the Will

Should You Accept the Job of Executor to Settle an Estate?

Special Needs Trusts

State and Local Health and Safety Laws

Tax-Saving AB Trusts

The Durable Power of Attorney: Health Care and Finances

The Living Will and Power of Attorney for Health Care: An Overview

The Prepaid Funeral and Its Perils

The Simple Will: No Frills, No Fuss, No Anxiety

The Trustees Job: The First Six Months

Transfer Your Life Insurance and Decrease Your Estate Tax

Trusts: Should You Serve as Trustee?

Using Roth IRAs to Avoid Probate

Vacation Homes: Keeping Them in the Family

What a Will Wont Do

What Do My Living Will and Power of Attorney for Health Care Cover?

What Does an Executor Do?

When Your Parent Loses a Mate: How to Help

Why Avoid Probate?

Why You May Not Need a Living Trust