How Can We Leave Our Home to Our Child?
Leaving your home to your child involves a number of different steps and considerations. You will have to determine the value of your estate and whether it will be taxed. You will also need to consider possible loss of control of the property, depending on how it is...
How Can Single Parents Protect Their Minor Children?
Estate planning is especially important for single parents with children. While every parent wants to provide for their children, it’s even more important for single parents, who have no other adult to step in, should the family suffer a crisis. For example, many...
Protecting Seniors From Identity Theft
Identity theft is one of the biggest threats to seniors. As we age, sometimes we need help protecting the estate we've worked so hard to build. In the same way that we eat right and exercise to protect our bodies, or build a healthy social life, we must also take...
Things to Know About An Estate Plan
Estate Planning is really just a short phrase for a detailed process. Often times people put off estate planning because the decisions can be difficult. Decisions like "Who will be my beneficiary?" or "How will I divide my assets among my children?" or "Where do I...
Beneficiary Basics
Beneficiary deeds, also called a “transfer-on-death” deed, are a good way to avoid the cumbersome and expensive process of probate. Real estate is one of the assets that triggers a probate proceeding. The Beneficiary Deed can streamline what could otherwise be a slow...
Estate Plan, the Ultimate Romantic Gift
During the month of February we think about love letters and romantic gift giving. But truly, what could be better proof of a commitment than an estate plan that protects your loved one for years to come? Flowers are beautiful, but why not give something with a little...
Anchorage Special Needs Planning Attorney: How to Plan for Your Child’s Future When You Are Divorcing
Raising a child with special needs is challenging. Sadly, the stress of the situation contributes to the high rate of divorce among couples who are raising children with special needs. In fact, it is estimated that the rate of...
Alaska Will and Trust Lawyer Answers: “Our Property is Titled in Joint Tenancy. I Don’t Need a Will, Right?”
Alaska Will and Trust Lawyer Answers: “Our Property is Titled in Joint Tenancy. I Don’t Need a Will, Right?” The answer to this question and so many other estate planning questions is, “Yes, but….”. It is true that if you own an asset jointly with rights of...
Anchorage Estate Planning Attorney Urges Millennials to Rethink this Common Estate Planning Myth
by Anchorage Estate Planning Attorney Connie Aschenbrenner As an Anchorage estate planning attorney, I know Millennials have a lot going on; they are starting their careers, buying their first homes, and starting their families. With so many “beginnings,” it’s hard to...
Pre-planning Your Funeral is Essential, but Think Twice Before Pre-Paying’ Warns Anchorage Elder Lawyer
By Connie Aschenbrenner, Anchorage elder lawyer Based on what I am seeing as an Anchorage elder lawyer, more and more people are considering pre-planning and pre-paying for their own funeral. For years, I have recommended that my clients include their wishes for their...
“Check the Oil, Rotate the Tires, and Update Your Estate Plan,” says Anchorage Wills Lawyer
By Connie Aschenbrenner, Anchorage wills lawyer Many of you know that I worked in a gas station in high school. I know how to tune up a car, change the oil, and change a tire. I have also, although only once, put a new muffler on a car. Some of you may also know,...
Alaska Will and Trust Lawyer: How to Plan When You’re Ill or Dealing with Health Challenges Related to Old Age
Serious health diagnoses can impact your life in huge ways and may bring concerns you haven’t thought of up to the forefront. One of those concerns, which is often pushed off when everything is going well, is estate planning and/or elder law planning. Planning can...
Anchorage Estate Planning Attorney: Avoid This Common Beneficiary Mismatch
As an Anchorage estate planning attorney, I have seen many unfortunate circumstances where a person goes through the time and expense of having an estate plan created only to fail to update their beneficiaries on their financial or retirement accounts before they pass...
Anchorage Elder Law Attorney: 5 Ways to Protect Older Loved Ones from Financial Abuse
Anchorage Elder Law Attorney: 5 Ways to Protect Older Loved Ones from Financial Abuse It’s no secret that the elderly are a favorite target of scam artists. Criminals will troll the internet and phone lists looking for seniors that are easy to prey upon due to an...
New Law to Expand Chronic Care Benefits through Medicare
In a rare instance of bipartisan cooperation, Congress recently passed a law that will expand chronic care benefits to individuals enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans who have chronic illnesses. The Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve...
Ask an Alaska Estate Planning Lawyer: “I Just Discovered a Long-Lost Sister. Can She Inherit Dad’s Estate?”
Ask an Alaska Estate Planning Lawyer: “I Just Discovered a Long-Lost Sister. Can She Inherit Dad’s Estate?” This may sound like a situation from a movie, but it happens more than you can imagine: a long-lost child appears after the death of their parent. This is an...
Alaska Estate Planning Lawyer: Which Power of Attorney is Right for Me?
A Power of Attorney is a document which names an agent to handle your financial affairs if you are incapacitated or otherwise unable to, while also explaining any limitations you wish to place on your agent while they act in your stead. There are many Power of...
Anchorage Will and Trust Lawyer: What Property Should Be in a Living Trust?
If you are reading our blog, you probably already decided that you want to create a living trust with an Anchorage will and trust lawyer to avoid probate and put a quick end to the estate administration process. You might also have decided that you want your estate...
Anchorage Elder Law Attorney: Determining Legal Competency for Senior Citizens
Legal competency concerns can lead to issues for senior citizens, during both life and death. This is especially true for financial affairs and disputed inheritances. An Anchorage Elder law attorney must be able to determine a senior’s legal competency in both...
Anchorage Elder Law Attorneys: New Elder Abuse Law Offers Protection for Alaska’s Most Vulnerable Seniors
Anchorage elder law attorneys have some good news for vulnerable seniors in Alaska and across the country. As part of a larger bipartisan bill on banking reform, the Senior Safe Act became law in the month of May. This legislation is an attempt to stop acts of...
Anchorage Estate Planning Lawyer: How to Use Trusts to Protect Your IRA from an Irresponsible Child
A lot of parents come into our Anchorage estate planning law firm with mixed feelings about passing on the balance of their retirement accounts to their children when they die someday. On one hand they are proud of the money they have saved over their lifetime in an...
Help! I Inherited a Timeshare. Now What?!
Help! I Inherited a Timeshare. Now What?! I know many people who love timeshares. That is, the option to be a part owner of a property which is used for getaways and vacations. Even though a deeded timeshare is an interest in real property, it is usually more of a...
Anchorage Trust Lawyer: You May Need Two Guardians for Your Minor Children
People often struggle with deciding who will serve as guardian for their minor children if they pass away. As an Anchorage trust lawyer, I’ve walked hundreds of Anchorage families through this process. Sometimes, the family situation requires naming not just one...
Anchorage Probate Lawyer: What Happens If Your Child Dies Before You?
The majority of people we see in our Anchorage estate planning law firm name their adult children as beneficiaries of their estate plan. In most cases, this works well because children typically outlive their parents. But, what happens when a child dies before the...
Law Office of Constance A. Aschenbrenner
907-334-9200
205 E. Benson Blvd., Suite 121-D Anchorage, Alaska
