Centennial Community Education

This is a relaxed and friendly open-forum seminar for participants with a seasoned Will & Trust attorney. You may have questions like: Should I avoid probate? Is a Will good enough? Do I need a Trust? How does my plan deal with a nursing home? How do we gift the assets of husband and wife? What about separate assets not of the marriage? If I am alone, what tools protect me best? How do I decide who should serve in my estate plan? What is the death tax? How do I avoid leaving a mess for my children? Which Trust is best for my needs? Can I use a Transfer-On-Death Deed? How do my retirement assets operate in my Will or Trust? All questions will be answered. If registering as a couple, it's only necessary to add one person to the cart when checking out. The name of your partner will be asked as a question during the checkout process.

How do I maximize my Social Security benefits? Explore claiming rules and strategies for couples, divorcees and widowed-surviving spouses to show you how to get the most out of your Social Security benefit. Discuss the important role Social Security plays in your overall retirement planning, ways to maximize your benefits and how to avoid becoming a victim of the “Widow Trap”. You should attend if you are within 10 years of retirement. If registering as a couple, only add one person to your cart. The name of your significant other will be asked as a question during checkout.

The trust is a very popular component and tool to be used in our estate planning. However, there are a variety of vastly different Trust options to be used and the question arises: "Am I using the right Trust for my needs and goals?" Often used Trusts include: Living Trusts, Testamentary Trusts and Irrevocable Trusts, each serves a different purpose, each has a different result. One common problem that often needs addressing is the over-utilization of the Living Trust for goals or problems that it does not resolve. For example, "Does my Living Trust protect my assets against Medicaid and the nursing home?" The answer is probably not. The Irrevocable Trust and the Testamentary Trust each have their strengths and weaknesses as well. We will clearly define the strengths and weaknesses of these different types of Trusts and when to use them. Explore your goals and wishes to see where they fall in the realm of Trusts. Class encourages questions and we hope to provide answers that will set your mind at ease or assist you in the decision making in this area. If registering as a couple, only add one person to your cart. The name of your partner will be asked as a question during the checkout process.

Participants should be comfortable using a computer with some typing ability. Prepare a valid will on a computer and learn about probate, estate planning, and wills. Some prep work required; packet will be sent prior to class. NOTE: This is a "simple will" class, not appropriate for those who have assets in excess of one million dollars or who need a Trust as well. Couples must register individually.