November is here, which means the holiday season is in full swing. To me, Halloween is like a warm-up for the “real” end-of-the-year holidays. Gorging myself on my kids’ Halloween candy is just a preview of the upcoming battle against the culinary temptations of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and countless holiday parties... Continue reading

As a lawyer, I meet and interact with people from all walks of life. Rich and poor, young and old, working and retired. And as readers of this blog will know, a good part of my law practice is dedicated to estate planning. All of us, regardless of background, education,... Continue reading

Most either don’t know, or refuse to accept, the facts surrounding the potential need for long-term care—not to mention the exorbitant cost associated with it. This was reconfirmed recently in a telephone survey of 1,735 Americans over the age of 40, funded by the SCAN Foundation and conducted by the... Continue reading

A judge recently ruled in a lawsuit filed in 2014 by the Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., Inc. (controlled by his two sons) against King's daughter, asking the court to order her to surrender possession of their father's travelling bible and Nobel Peace Prize. Continue reading

Raley L. Wiggins The Alabama Legislature and appellate courts have been wrestling with the notion of grandparent visitation for several years. Last week, the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals struck down the latest version of the Alabama Grandparent’s Visitation Act, Ala. Code (1975) § 30-3-4.1 as unconstitutional in Weldon v.... Continue reading

Raley L. Wiggins As responsible citizens, we all maintain homeowners insurance, automobile insurance, and maybe even life insurance or long-term care insurance. The goal of any insurance product is to spread risk among a large group of people and minimize your own exposure. But if you are like me, you... Continue reading

Raley L. Wiggins Sending a loved one to a nursing home for care is never an easy decision. Families often feel guilty because they cannot provide the level of care that their loved one needs at home. During such a difficult time of transition, financial or planning issues may be... Continue reading

Raley L. Wiggins The 70 million Americans who rely upon their Social Security benefits won’t like this news. For only the third time in 40 years, there will be no COLA (“Cost of Living Adjustment”) increase in benefits next year. Even though this is a historically rare event, all years... Continue reading

Should you leave an inheritance to someone with special needs? The answer may surprise you. Continue reading

By Raley L. Wiggins | Attorney at Law 1. “Stale” Documents Every adult age 19 or older should have a durable power of attorney. This is a document that appoints another person (called your “Agent”) to manage your financial and business affairs on your behalf, particularly if you are no... Continue reading

Benjamin Franklin famously said “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” - Will You Owe Death Taxes? | By Attorney Raley L. Wiggins Continue reading

Even among lawyers, there is a lot of confusion regarding which documents clients need when it comes to health care decision making. Adding to the confusion is the fact that the names of many of these documents—Living Wills, Advance Directives, Do Not Resuscitate Orders, Healthcare Proxies, and Healthcare Powers of Attorney—are often (incorrectly) used interchangeably. . . Continue reading

By Raley L. Wiggins | Attorney at Law In just the last few days, my wife and I were blessed with the arrival of our second child. Having a new baby in the home certainly shakes things up, to say the least. For many in my “demographic” (thirty-somethings with young... Continue reading

By Raley L. Wiggins | Attorney at Law In the eyes of the law, mental competency is a complex issue. Particularly among the elderly, it is unusual for someone to simply lose their ability to manage their own affairs overnight. It is much more common for one’s memory to slip... Continue reading

In short, the answer is yes, you can work and draw your Social Security retirement benefits—but that may not be your best option. Continue reading

By Raley L. Wiggins | Attorney at Law As you approach the magical of age of 65 (or 66, or 67, depending on when you were born) it’s time to start thinking about the best time to start drawing your Social Security Retirement benefits. Uncle Sam gives you the option... Continue reading

Have you planned for disability? Do you know how you own your assets? Are you leaving your assets outright to your spouse? You may be making a common estate planning mistake! Continue reading

By Raley L. Wiggins | Attorney at Law As an estate planning attorney, I'm a little jealous of CPA's. Don't get me wrong, I've got no desire to spend my time wading through receipts and crunching numbers. But from a business perspective, accountants know that their clients are going to... Continue reading

By Raley L. Wiggins | Attorney at Law Money is still a taboo topic in polite society. We don’t engage in small talk with someone we’ve just met by asking them “So, how much did you pull down last year?” Instead, we stick towards mundane and unoffensive topics like the... Continue reading

By Raley L. Wiggins | Attorney at Law Do you have a special getaway at the beach, or in the mountains? Is it located in another state? Then listen up, this is for you. To pass real estate on to your heirs, most people use a last will and testament,... Continue reading

By Raley L. Wiggins A woman in Utah recently filed suit against the driver of a vehicle involved in a single car accident which caused the death of her husband back in 2011. But there is just one twist — she was the driver. At first glance, this seems like... Continue reading

"This year, skip the flowers and chocolate, turn off the TV, shut down the cellphone, and write a letter to someone you love." - Click on the article to find out what "love letter" attorney Raley L. Wiggins is referring to in this article! Continue reading

By Raley L. Wiggins | Attorney at Law | Red Oak Legal, PC You shouldn’t assume that your family will “take care” of everything after you’re gone. Estate planning isn’t just about diving up your stuff after death—it’s also about managing your affairs while you’re alive, but unable to manage... Continue reading

By Raley Wiggins There are two primary flavors of living trusts: revocable, and irrevocable. Revocable trusts are estate planning and asset management tools which can be used to manage your assets during your lifetime. In the event that you become disabled, a good revocable trust will include provisions to manage... Continue reading

By Raley L. Wiggins | Attorney at Law | Red Oak Legal, PC When a loved one starts to experience problems with memory and understanding, it’s difficult. The progressive nature of Alzheimer’s and dementia means that people can only hope to slow or minimize the memory loss and decline in... Continue reading