Estate Planning
August 18, 2020
O’Keeffe O’Brien Lyson Foss is thrilled to announce that Brandon Erickson has joined the firm in Fargo, North Dakota, as an attorney. Brandon Erickson is a seasoned and experienced attorney with roots in North Dakota. Today he focuses his practice on Estate Planning and Probate work along with General Litigation. […]
January 11, 2018
Estate planning for farm owners involves some unique issues which often revolve around making sure that a farm is properly passed down to a family’s next generation. It is important that the farm can be passed in an economical manner because farm families depend on the farm to generate revenue […]
September 1, 2017
It is important that individuals follow some cautionary advice when making their estate plans. The importance of this planning was recently highlighted in a case involving the musician Prince. After Prince died in 2016 without a will and much litigation occurred regarding how his estate should be divided, a judge […]
August 30, 2017
Wills are important estate planning devices because they dictate how property will be distributed after a person’s death. While wills are recommended and essential in a person’s estate planning process, there are many will substitutes that can serve similar purposes. Will substitutes offer several unique advantages which include that wills […]
July 3, 2017
Most people are involved in the probate process at some point in their lives. Probate refers to the process that occurs after a person dies and before that person’s estate is divided in accordance with that person’s will. The probate process has the potential to be complicated and can involve […]
March 31, 2017
Probate law is an extremely complex area of the law to navigate, and it is always best to contact an experienced probate attorney to help with all probate-related issues. Probate is essentially the accounting of the assets that the recently deceased owned at time of death. It can also include […]
February 16, 2017
When a person dies and leaves no will, they have died “intestate,” i.e., without a last will and testament. In the absence of a will to direct the distribution of any assets, state law determines who inherits through intestate succession. Furthermore, if there are assets not accounted for in a […]
January 20, 2017
A power of attorney is a legal document that gives a designated individual, known as an attorney-in-fact or agent, the authority to act on behalf of another person. The laws for appointing a power of attorney vary from state to state. Who Can Create a Power of Attorney? To create […]
September 6, 2016
When we are young and healthy, a life care plan is often the last thing on our minds. But by addressing issues that could crop up later in life, you can minimize the likelihood that a catastrophic event will derail all your plans. What is a Life Care Plan? A […]
January 4, 2016
In order to make Minnesota more competitive in an ever-changing trust landscape, a major revision to Minnesota trust law took effect on January 1st, 2016. This is the first major revision in over a decade. The Current Framework The former framework for the trust law, Minnesota Chapter 501B, became law in 1989, with […]
December 25, 2015
Do You Need a Will or Trust? Estate planning may not be a fun or easy topic to discuss, but it is a very important step to take to ensure your assets are appropriately distributed after you are gone. While a living trust and a will have many differences, they […]
December 24, 2015
Steps to Getting Your Affairs in Order for Your Family No one ever plans to be sick or disabled. And as much as you don’t want to think about it, there will be a day where you won’t be around anymore to care for your family, emotionally or financially. What […]