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Margaret thought she had covered all her bases. The 78-year-old widow from Greenville had updated her will just six months before her death, leaving her $400,000 estate primarily to her daughter who had cared for her during her final years. But within weeks of Margaret’s funeral, her two sons filed a will contest, claiming their sister had unduly influenced their mother and that Margaret...

When Robert’s doctor diagnosed him with early-stage Alzheimer’s at age 68, he and his wife Patricia faced a difficult reality. With $800,000 in savings and a paid-off home in Asheville, they worried about the devastating cost of long-term care. “We worked our whole lives to build this nest egg,” Patricia explained during our consultation. “We can’t let it...

When David and Susan established a trust for their family, they thought they were simply avoiding probate. Five years later, when their son faced a costly divorce and their daughter struggled with addiction, they realized the trust had provided protections they never anticipated. “It wasn’t just about the money,” Susan explained. “The trust gave us a way to help our...

Power of Attorney in North Carolina and South Carolina: Your Complete Guide for 2025 When Maria’s husband suffered a sudden stroke at age 58, she faced an immediate crisis. Despite being married for 25 years, she couldn’t access his business accounts, make decisions about his medical care, or even talk to his doctors about his condition. “I never imagined I’d need legal...

Tom thought he had everything figured out. He’d downloaded a will template online, filled it out, and tucked it away in his desk drawer. “At least I have something,” he told his wife. Three years later, when Tom passed away unexpectedly, his family discovered that his DIY will was invalid under North Carolina law—missing crucial witness signatures that rendered the entire...

When Jennifer’s father passed away last month, she felt overwhelmed by the legal requirements ahead. “I don’t even know where to start,” she confided. “Dad had a will, but everyone keeps talking about probate, and I have no idea what that means or how long it will take.” If you’re facing the probate process for the first time, you’re not alone....

Mark had heard about trusts from a friend at work, but he wasn’t sure if he needed one. “Aren’t trusts just for wealthy people?” he asked during our consultation. With a house worth $300,000, retirement accounts, and two teenage children, Mark was surprised to learn that a revocable trust might actually save his family thousands of dollars and months of court...

When Jennifer’s husband passed away unexpectedly, she discovered that their “comprehensive” estate plan had several critical flaws. “We thought we had everything covered,” Jennifer explained. “We had wills, life insurance, and retirement accounts. But we never updated the beneficiaries after our children were born, our wills weren’t properly witnessed,...