scary jack-o-lantern

5 Scary Estate Planning Excuses

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It's the season for everything pumpkin, Hocus Pocus reruns, and "accidentally" eating all the trick-or-treat candy before the actual trick-or-treaters arrive. It's the time when I'm reminded that the scariest notion of all is not Dracula, ghosts,…
halloween confetti

4 Punny Legal Halloween Costumes

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In the spirit of Halloween this month, let's take a break from scary estate planning excuses, probate fees, and haunting nonprofit actions and have some fun. Whether you're an attorney, work with the law in other ways, or are just a fan of legal…
Halloween pumpkin

The Scary Tale of What Makes a Will Valid

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What makes a will valid? To begin, you are asking the entirely wrong question! [Cue evil sounding mwahahahaha.] You must ask a more specific question what makes a will valid in Iowa. After all, every state can and does have different laws…
person with sparkler spooky

Spooktacular Savings on Probate Fees

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Forget the scariest movies of all time, did you hear the unnerving tale about the will admitted to probate? Frightening stuff! Some folks are surprised, even shocked, to learn that a will doesn't avoid probate, but it doesn't. Whether you…
Girl holding scary pumpkin

6 of the Scariest Things Your Nonprofit Can Do

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Horrifying. Blood curdling. Hair raising. These are just a few of the adjectives that can be used to describe six of the scariest things your nonprofit can do (or fail to do). As a lawyer who regularly works with nonprofit organizations to…
cloudy moon

Scary Tale of the Estate Planner Who Ignored Community Property Law States

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DON’T DARE READ THIS ALONE! Count Dracula needed a new estate plan. After all, the Count hadn’t updated his last will in 1,400 years. After he got over a few eerie common estate planning excuses, he went to his Iowa estate planner.  The…