Imagine this: You’ve spent years building a business, saving, investing, and creating a comfortable life for your family. You’ve got an estate plan in place and assume everything will run smoothly when the time comes. But then—because of one overlooked detail—your family ends up with a tax bill in the millions. Unfortunately, this isn’t just a theoretical horror story. It has happened to real families, and it can happen here in North Carolina [...]

We all love a good life hack. I’m a sucker for any Tiktok or Instagram reel that shows me inexpensive DIY cleaning hacks (with two kids playing soccer every day, I definitely spend too much money on deodorizing my car and house!) Finding a clever way to save time, money, or hassle is a universal win—except when it comes to estate planning. As a SurvivorSupport® attorney with 25 years of experience in estate [...]

The most common – and usually confusing – question clients have asked during my 20+ years of estate planning experience is: “What is the difference between a will and a trust?” But also, “Are a will and a trust the same thing?” and “Does it matter whether I have a will or a trust?” No matter the question, comparing these two estate planning tools can be confusing! So let’s get to adulting, tackle [...]