Last week we held 2 estate planning workshops – one in Cape Girardeau and one in Jackson. The major purpose of these workshops is to educate individuals about what happens with no planning and the difference planning can make. I have yet to have someone attend the workshop and tell me that they didn’t learn […]
As an attorney focused on Elder Law, many clients ask me, “How much does a nursing home around Cape Girardeau cost?” The answer is that it depends on which facility you go into. Different facilities have different rates… and they change frequently. As of November 1, 2016, here is the cost of skilled nursing facilities […]
The first time I was asked to assist with a bankruptcy case, my initial reaction was, “OK, I’ll take one for the team, but this isn’t something I want to do.” That first case completely changed my perspective. It was a mom and dad who had 2 young kids. In the past the dad had a very […]
Our new office location is in Cape Girardeau at 2007 Independence Street. That’s near the new Walmart Neighborhood Market and in between John’s Pharmacy and the Grecian Steakhouse. Mailing Address is: Law Office of Mark McMullin 2007 Independence Street Cape Girardeau, MO 63703
Example. Kirk and Lisa wanted to make their estate settlement simple for each other and for their three children. Knowing that assets in a revocable trust avoid probate, they created a trust and transferred their stock, home, LLCs into their trust. Kirk and Lisa “heard” that life insurance avoid probate because it’s paid to the […]
Perhaps you are wondering, “What are the differences in the estate tax proposals for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton?” In its current pre-election form, an estate must pay federal estate tax if the estate has a net fair market value in excess of $5.45 million as of the date of death. The estate tax rate […]
It’s common for individuals who own real estate to procrastinate estate planning. Too frequently, individuals procrastinate too long and end up passing away with no plan in place for their real estate. The result: legal confusion. One family comes to mind. The wife had real estate that was only in her name. When she passed […]
Probate is the process of transferring property from a deceased individual to living individuals. Sounds simple, right? Yet, it can quickly become complicated and expensive. In Missouri, each county has a probate court that handles these transfers. However, probate takes time. The Missouri Bar advises that “the earliest that an estate may be closed and […]
Recently I had a small-business owner contact me regarding changing the name of his business. We were able to amend the Articles of Organization with the Missouri Secretary of State’s office. That is a routine matter and can be done in one day This was a healthcare business and it also needed to update its […]
Recently I hosted an estate planning workshop for the community. In introducing myself I said that I focus my practice on estate planning and elder law. An attendee wanted to know what those terms meant: what does “estate planning” mean? What is “elder law”? My simple definition for estate planning is this: planning so your […]
