Michele D. Gartland, Author at Rucci Law Group

What Is the Best Way to Own My Home?

Written by Michele D. Gartland on May 1, 2024

This is a question we are frequently asked, and the answer depends on your individual objectives. The following is a review of the four most commonly used options and the advantages and disadvantages of each from an estate planning perspective. Titling a house in an irrevocable trust for either Medicaid, asset protection, or estate tax … Continue reading What Is the Best Way to Own My Home? →

Family Time and Important Conversations

Written by Michele D. Gartland on December 5, 2023

Amidst the family celebrations, the holidays offer the opportunity to spend quality downtime together and also allow time to have quiet conversations with loved ones about what is important to your family. These conversations may be parents discussing with their children their own plans for how they would like to leave assets to their children … Continue reading Family Time and Important Conversations →

Setting aside funds for minors: What are the best options?

Written by Michele D. Gartland on September 8, 2023

Frequently parents, grandparents, friends, and other relatives will want to set aside funds for a minor child. Here are a few of the most popular options and some pros and cons of each one. This list is not meant to be exhaustive but to highlight some of the most important features of the options presented. … Continue reading Setting aside funds for minors: What are the best options? →

What are Digital Assets and Why is Planning for Them in Your Estate Plan So Important?

Written by Michele D. Gartland on February 21, 2023

Today, so much of our lives are online. We have social media accounts, document storage, banking and daily communication across multiple devices. Almost all of us have an active digital footprint. Digital Assets generally include any electronic record in which you have a right or interest, including any asset or liability which is itself an … Continue reading What are Digital Assets and Why is Planning for Them in Your Estate Plan So Important? →

Four Essential Documents for Your College Bound Children

Written by Michele D. Gartland on August 8, 2022

By Michele D. Gartland If you’ll be dropping off your son or daughter on a college campus this fall, you probably have a long checklist of items. Along with the dorm supplies and books, you should add certain essential documents—giving you the legal authority to act on behalf of your child for financial and medical … Continue reading Four Essential Documents for Your College Bound Children →

Estate Planning for your Retirement Assets

Written by Michele D. Gartland on March 25, 2022

For many people, their retirement savings is one of their largest assets, and the rules for how these assets are passed to beneficiaries has changed significantly with the passing of the SECURE Act at the end of 2019. An IRA or 401(k) typically does not pass through an individual’s Will. In most cases, it passes … Continue reading Estate Planning for your Retirement Assets →

What’s Next After Your Estate Plan Has Been Signed

Written by Michele D. Gartland on June 2, 2021

We love meeting with clients to execute their estate plans. Clients have a well-deserved sense of accomplishment that they’ve asked the hard questions, made the right decisions, and now have a plan in place. They have peace of mind that their family will be provided for and their wishes will be carried out. However, there … Continue reading What’s Next After Your Estate Plan Has Been Signed →

It’s A Good Time to Review Your Estate Plan

Written by Michele D. Gartland on

This past year has been a year like no other, but in spite of what’s been going on, life has gone on too, and there may have been big events in your life – the buying of a new house, the birth of a child, becoming a grandparent (for the first or tenth time), a … Continue reading It’s A Good Time to Review Your Estate Plan →

Tax and Estate Planning

Written by Michele D. Gartland on December 2, 2020

By Michele Gartland While election results are in, as of this writing they are still being contested and much in terms of tax policy remains uncertain. Any changes may hinge on the composition of the Senate which is subject to the two Georgia runoff races in January. Potentially at stake are: (1) a reduction in … Continue reading Tax and Estate Planning →

Seize the Moment and Create Your Estate Plan

Written by Michele D. Gartland on July 15, 2020

We’ll talk about it another time. I don’t know where to begin. We’re not wealthy enough to need one. Those are just a few of the reasons why family members often put off conversations about estate planning. In fact, the prevalence of estate planning has trended in the wrong direction in recent years: While almost … Continue reading Seize the Moment and Create Your Estate Plan →