Wills & Trusts

In general, Mississippi’s statistics on marriage and divorce mirrors the United States’ average.1 Almost fifty percent of the people who marry will divorce. What I find interesting, however, is that of the majority who get divorced, eighty percent go on to marry again for a second or third time. Of course, some of these people do so after the death of a prior spouse. The point, however, is that second or third marriages create a lot of blended families - children from either

Whenever a bride, groom, and their family plan a wedding, they consider every detail. Sometimes, it can take over a year to get the plan just right: the best date, who to invite, the perfect dress, jewelry, flowers, the venue for the wedding, pre-wedding parties, the greatest reception, and . . . the list goes on. It is a big day and deserves proper consideration. So, it amazes me that many of these same people often leave the rest of their life to chance. Either no plan i

Trusts are a good estate-planning tool. I often say they are an excellent option when a family needs flexibility, such as after a second marriage results in a blended family or when there is a special-needs family member. Trust provide the ability to control assets from the grave. They can terminate upon the happening of a specific event or provide support for the life of the beneficiary, then specify what happens to the remainder of the assets. Trusts can allow a person to p