Giving to Charity Estate planning with a team-based approach Several years ago, I enjoyed reading the book, “The Boys in the Boat,” by Daniel James Brown. Recently, I saw the movie adaptation which was directed and co-produced by George Clooney. It is the story of the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew team that won the…
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Giving to Charity Giving to Charity We are all blessed to live in a giving community. Over the years, I have had the privilege of serving on several non-profit boards in Great Falls, including Community Help Line, Children’s Museum of Montana, Montana School for the Deaf and Blind Foundation, Great Falls Public Schools Foundation, and…
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The Value of Using Irrevocable Trusts in Medicaid Planning People often wonder about the value of using irrevocable trusts in Medicaid planning. Certainly, gifting of assets can be done outright, not involving an irrevocable trust. Outright gifts have the advantages of being simple to do with minimal costs involved, including the cost of preparing and…
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Planning Checklist For Those Assisting Elderly Family Members I gave a presentation a few years ago at a local assisted living facility. The topic was powers of attorney and guardianships and conservatorships. Half of the attendees were children of residents at the assisted living facility. Based on the questions that they asked me; it was…
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2023 Montana Legislation Changes – How will it Impact Estate Planning Going Forward The 2023 Montana Legislature enacted several bills relating to estate planning and administration. The bills make planning and estate administration easier and less costly. Use of Affidavits to Avoid Probate Montana law provides that probate is required when a person dies…
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Our Charity Partner of the Year – 2023 This year, Montana Estate Lawyers has selected Family Promise or Great Falls as our 2023 Charity Partner of the Year. Family Promise was chosen because of their passion to help others and dedication to transforming the community. Family Promise is one of several organizations in Great Falls,…
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Why Updating Beneficiary Designations is Important Beneficiaries are an important part of wills and trusts, but beneficiary designations can become a huge problem if they are not updated. Beneficiary designations on your retirement accounts, IRAs, annuities and life insurance policies override wills or trust provisions. This means that people you don’t intend to inherit your…
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Our Story: New Name, Same Values The story of our law firm begins in 1946 when Bill Scott came back from the Navy and went into partnership with a law school mate, Ted James. Bill later practiced with Wayne Linnell and Norman Newhall. In 1980 Keith came back to Montana after working in Texas and…
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New Year’s Resolutions We all make New Year’s resolutions. Losing weight, exercising, learning a new language . . . . Few of us think of our estate plan, but we should. Here are 8 things you can do to get your estate plan on track: 1. Will or Trust. Make sure you have an up…
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Myth: A Will Avoids Probate Many people believe that once they have created a Will–whether drafted by an experienced attorney or using a do-it-yourself solution or online form–they have avoided probate. Unfortunately, they are wrong. What is a Will? A Will is a way to designate a person to wind up your affairs once you…
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