June 10, 2016
The Conversation by Phil Runyon
The Conversation I hope your good weather activities are off to a fast start - and that all your hiking and biking are making estate planning less urgent, shall...
Estate Planning and Probate Terms
A simple reference for estate planning, probate, and trust administration concepts, with links to related Food for Thought posts for further reading.
We are very conscious that a flood of arcane legal terms can be overwhelming to someone who has not dealt with these matters before. This resource is provided for those who want to do a little studying up on pertinent topics in the Estate Planning/Probate area.
Select a term to see a short definition, related phrases people often use, links to the most relevant practice pages, and a list of related Food for Thought posts.
If you have questions about how these terms apply to your own situation, or if you are trying to sort through documents after a death, contact the office.
Browse by topic
Estate Planning & Probate Index
Explore common estate planning, probate, trust, and elder law topics, with related Food for Thought articles from Runyon Law Office.
Filter by topic
Selected term
Core Estate Planning Documents
Advance Directive / Health Care Directive
An advance directive lets you name someone to make health care decisions if you cannot speak for yourself.
In New Hampshire, this usually also includes living will instructions about serious illness and end-of-life care. It is different from a financial power of attorney, and it does not control who receives your property after death.
Related phrases people often use
- health care proxy
- living will
- medical decision-maker
- hipaa release
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
December 1, 2015
Those Unavoidable Topics by Phil Runyon
Those Unavoidable Topics Remember several months ago when I explained how you might maximize your Social Security benefits with a technique called "file and sus...
May 19, 2014
Elder Law Priorities by Phil Runyon
Elder Law Priorities Elder law is the fastest growing practice area for many lawyers, because people now entering their Medicare years are the fastest growing d...
April 5, 2013
HIPAA Compliance by Phil Runyon
HIPAA Compliance If I've had anything to do with your planning, most of you have completed Health Care Directives, to give a trusted person the ability to make...
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Real Estate and Probate Avoidance
Beneficiary Designation
A beneficiary designation is the instruction attached to an account or policy that says who receives it at death.
Retirement accounts, life insurance, annuities, and transfer-on-death accounts often pass according to the beneficiary form rather than the rest of the estate plan. That is why these forms deserve the same attention as a will or trust.
Related phrases people often use
- pod
- tod account
- ira beneficiary
- life insurance beneficiary
- annuity beneficiary
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
October 24, 2025
Some Year-End RMD Strategies and a Bit More
Crispy Fall greetings, everyone! It's been a while since I've written, so lest you completely forget me and I end up in your spam folder, I want to reconnect an...
March 1, 2024
Views and News
Early (Very Early) Spring greetings to you all! As a native Southerner, I confess to being less than sanguine about the weather of January and February and to b...
June 5, 2019
What to Do with Those Documents
**This time around I'm going to assume you've fully executed all those planning documents I harp on - you have, right? - and talk instead about what to do with...
May 22, 2015
Asset Beneficiaries are Important by Phil Runyon
Asset Beneficiaries are important As we all know (some more traumatically than others), the divorce bug has attacked nearly every family at some point. And when...
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Core Estate Planning Documents
Durable Power of Attorney
A durable power of attorney allows a trusted agent to handle legal and financial matters for you.
Durable usually means the authority remains available even if you later become incapacitated. This document can be critical for lifetime planning, but it does not replace an advance directive and it does not determine inheritance.
Related phrases people often use
- financial poa
- agent
- attorney-in-fact
- incapacity planning
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
May 7, 2024
New Developments for a Change!
Spring greetings, everyone! I was going to grouse about the weather taking forever to perk up, but today looks like it's doing its best to keep my mouth shut. I...
June 5, 2019
What to Do with Those Documents
**This time around I'm going to assume you've fully executed all those planning documents I harp on - you have, right? - and talk instead about what to do with...
February 17, 2015
An Important New Law by Phil Runyon
An Important New Law This is the time of year when new laws take effect, and I want to tell you about one of them that may pertain to lots of families. I'll pre...
December 27, 2013
Year-End Planning by Phil Runyon
Year-End Planning The upcoming year-end always provides the occasion to take stock and make sure our houses are in order on many levels. I'll leave most of that...
More posts about this topic
April 17, 2012
Durable Powers of Attorney Require Vigilance by Phil Runyon
Durable Powers of Attorney Require Vigilance Let's start with a basic fact. Everyone should have a durable power of attorney naming a trusted family member, fri...
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Probate and Estate Administration
Executor / Administrator
An executor or administrator is the person responsible for handling a probate estate.
Executor is usually the term used when there is a will, while administrator is often used when there is not. In either role, the person is acting as a fiduciary and is expected to keep records, follow the proper process, and carry out the work carefully.
Related phrases people often use
- personal representative
- estate administration
- probate fiduciary
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
June 5, 2019
What to Do with Those Documents
**This time around I'm going to assume you've fully executed all those planning documents I harp on - you have, right? - and talk instead about what to do with...
August 27, 2015
Sometimes More Information is Better by Phil Runyon
Sometimes More Information is Better Here are a few words on a subject that can be totally unenjoyable, even divisive, in many families, at a time when they rea...
September 17, 2013
Probate Avoidance Revisited by Phil Runyon
**Probate Avoidance Revisited I've mentioned before - harped may be more like it - about doing your best to keep your family from having to endure the delay (mo...
January 18, 2012
A Probate Alternative by Phil Runyon
A Probate Alternative Nearly every family has a horror story about "probating" a relative's estate, the usual complaints being about how long it took, how much...
Related terms
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Probate and Estate Administration
Probate
Probate is the court-supervised process of transferring assets out of a decedent's name and into the hands of the proper beneficiaries or heirs.
Whether probate is necessary depends on how assets were owned, whether there is a will, and whether any trust or beneficiary-designated assets are already set up to pass outside the court process.
Related phrases people often use
- probate court
- estate administration
- avoid probate
- probating an estate
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
October 24, 2025
Some Year-End RMD Strategies and a Bit More
Crispy Fall greetings, everyone! It's been a while since I've written, so lest you completely forget me and I end up in your spam folder, I want to reconnect an...
June 5, 2019
What to Do with Those Documents
**This time around I'm going to assume you've fully executed all those planning documents I harp on - you have, right? - and talk instead about what to do with...
January 7, 2014
Joint Tenants Take Note by Phil Runyon
Joint Tenants Take Note As the heading suggests, I'm out to toss a little cold water on the common technique many of us employ to pass our worldly stuff on to o...
September 17, 2013
Probate Avoidance Revisited by Phil Runyon
**Probate Avoidance Revisited I've mentioned before - harped may be more like it - about doing your best to keep your family from having to endure the delay (mo...
More posts about this topic
January 18, 2012
A Probate Alternative by Phil Runyon
A Probate Alternative Nearly every family has a horror story about "probating" a relative's estate, the usual complaints being about how long it took, how much...
Related terms
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Trusts and Trust Administration
Revocable Trust
A revocable trust, often called a revocable living trust, is a trust you create during your lifetime that you can usually change or revoke.
It is often used to help manage assets during life, provide for a smoother transition at incapacity or death, and reduce the need for probate if assets are properly titled into the trust. It is still only one piece of a broader estate plan.
Related phrases people often use
- living trust
- trust funding
- trust-based estate plan
- pour-over will
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
March 15, 2018
A Modest Proposal by Phil Runyon
A Modest Proposal Many of you have already taken the suggestion to convey your assets to revocable trusts to help your family avoid the winter (spring, summer a...
January 25, 2016
Another Planning Resolution by Phil Runyon
Another Planning Resolution In addition to resolving to being nicer people this year, let's also resolve to keep our planning documents in good order - and let'...
July 24, 2014
More Trust News by Phil Runyon
More Trust News If you've been even an intermittent reader here, you know I've proclaimed the helpful uses of trusts on many occasions. Historically, the primar...
May 1, 2013
Time for a Trust Tune-up? by Phil Runyon
Time for a Trust Tune-up? Now that the dust is settling on the new tax law, and the rules have become as permanent as anything can be in Washington, it's pretty...
More posts about this topic
June 14, 2012
More on Trusts by Phil Runyon
More on Trusts I've noted previously that most people's estate values are now less than the federal estate tax exemption amounts - currently $5,000,000 per pers...
January 18, 2012
A Probate Alternative by Phil Runyon
A Probate Alternative Nearly every family has a horror story about "probating" a relative's estate, the usual complaints being about how long it took, how much...
Related terms
Learn more
Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Trusts and Trust Administration
Irrevocable Trust
An irrevocable trust is a trust that generally cannot be changed or revoked at will once it is created.
In the right circumstances, it may be used for tax planning, asset protection, Medicaid or long-term care planning, or multi-generational family planning. Because it is meant to be less flexible than a revocable trust, it should be used thoughtfully and as part of an overall plan.
Related phrases people often use
- asset protection trust
- medicaid trust
- long-term care planning trust
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
March 1, 2024
Views and News
Early (Very Early) Spring greetings to you all! As a native Southerner, I confess to being less than sanguine about the weather of January and February and to b...
October 23, 2015
Protecting Your Most Precious Assets by Phil Runyon
Protecting Your Most Precious Assets t's always important to get your affairs in order - just in case things happen unexpectedly - but there's one organizing jo...
February 28, 2014
Defending the Nest Egg by Phil Runyon
Defending the Nest Egg This message is probably more for readers at the far end of the age continuum - or for those of you with a senior or two that you're keep...
October 21, 2013
More Medicaid . . . and More by Phil Runyon
More Medicaid . . . and More There's new legislation on Medicaid - not Medicare - in New Hampshire that you should consider carefully. Let's get at it by way of...
Related terms
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Trusts and Trust Administration
Trustee / Successor Trustee
A trustee is the person or institution responsible for managing a trust according to its terms.
A successor trustee is the person named to step in later, often after death or incapacity, or when the original trustee can no longer serve. The role can involve investment oversight, recordkeeping, communication with beneficiaries, and distribution decisions.
Related phrases people often use
- trust administration
- fiduciary
- trust distributions
- maintenance and support
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
June 5, 2019
What to Do with Those Documents
**This time around I'm going to assume you've fully executed all those planning documents I harp on - you have, right? - and talk instead about what to do with...
March 15, 2018
A Modest Proposal by Phil Runyon
A Modest Proposal Many of you have already taken the suggestion to convey your assets to revocable trusts to help your family avoid the winter (spring, summer a...
January 25, 2016
Another Planning Resolution by Phil Runyon
Another Planning Resolution In addition to resolving to being nicer people this year, let's also resolve to keep our planning documents in good order - and let'...
November 19, 2014
Express Your Trust Intentions by Phil Runyon
Express Your Trust Intentions Thanksgiving, more than any other holiday, seems to bring us together not only for a gargantuan meal, but also for those awkward c...
More posts about this topic
September 14, 2012
Still More Decisions! by Phil Runyon
Still More Decisions! Recently, I passed on some thoughts about how to assess and choose the right folks to act for you if you're unable to tend to business you...
August 30, 2012
Who Do You Trust? by Phil Runyon
Who Do You Trust? I'm calling this topic "Who Do You Trust?", because it's about deciding who to trust when you'll need someone else to tend to your business. Y...
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Core Estate Planning Documents
Will
A will is a document that directs how assets in your name should be distributed at death and names the person you want to act as executor.
A will may also include nominations for guardians of minor children. It can still be an important part of a complete estate plan even when a trust is also involved.
Related phrases people often use
- last will and testament
- codicil
- guardian nomination
- pour-over will
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
June 5, 2019
What to Do with Those Documents
**This time around I'm going to assume you've fully executed all those planning documents I harp on - you have, right? - and talk instead about what to do with...
December 22, 2015
A Holiday Parable by Phil Runyon
A Holiday Parable Here's a story that might be useful to you or a family member or a close friend. Many years ago I had a "senior" client who had become estrang...
May 22, 2015
Modern Families by Phil Runyon
Modern Families Let's start with the situation that sends a shiver through every parent - what to do if one of the kids is missing (heaven forbid). Well, if you...
April 1, 2014
Correcting Some Misconceptions by Phil Runyon
Correcting Some Misconceptions There are many misconceptions about the law that often seem to overwhelm the truth, so let's try to dispel a few of them. Many pe...
More posts about this topic
January 18, 2012
A Probate Alternative by Phil Runyon
A Probate Alternative Nearly every family has a horror story about "probating" a relative's estate, the usual complaints being about how long it took, how much...
Related terms
Learn more
Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Real Estate and Probate Avoidance
Joint Tenancy
Joint tenancy is a form of ownership in which two or more people own property together with a right of survivorship.
That means the property often passes automatically to the surviving joint owner at death, outside probate. Sometimes that is useful, but sometimes it creates family, tax, or planning problems if it was used mainly as a convenience.
Related phrases people often use
- joint ownership
- right of survivorship
- joint bank account
- joint real estate
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
October 24, 2025
Some Year-End RMD Strategies and a Bit More
Crispy Fall greetings, everyone! It's been a while since I've written, so lest you completely forget me and I end up in your spam folder, I want to reconnect an...
September 5, 2014
A Difficult Conversation by Phil Runyon
A Difficult Conversation Before moving on to a new message here, let me pass on a comment I received from a reader about the article on joint tenancies. He ment...
August 12, 2014
Joint Tenancies Redux by Phil Runyon
Joint Tenancies Redux I've written already about the use of **joint tenancies** to help avoid probate. If one of the JTs dies, the other becomes the sole owner...
January 7, 2014
Joint Tenants Take Note by Phil Runyon
Joint Tenants Take Note As the heading suggests, I'm out to toss a little cold water on the common technique many of us employ to pass our worldly stuff on to o...
Related terms
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Real Estate and Probate Avoidance
Transfer on Death Deed
A transfer on death deed is a deed that is designed to pass real estate automatically at death without a full probate transfer.
It can be useful in the right circumstances, but it is still important to look at the whole estate plan, the title history, and whether there are other documents or family concerns that should be coordinated with it.
Related phrases people often use
- tod deed
- real estate transfer at death
- revocation deed
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
February 11, 2026
Scam Prevention and Avoidance
Scam Awareness and Prevention Tips for New Hampshire Families This installment is about scams - not scabs, scars or Spam - and so I appreciate your opening this...
May 7, 2024
New Developments for a Change!
Spring greetings, everyone! I was going to grouse about the weather taking forever to perk up, but today looks like it's doing its best to keep my mouth shut. I...
Related terms
Learn more
Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Elder Law and Incapacity Planning
Guardianship
A guardianship is a court-created arrangement in which another person is given authority to make decisions for someone who cannot manage on their own.
The question may arise for minor children, for vulnerable adults, or as part of incapacity planning when less restrictive options are not enough. Because it involves a court process and a serious transfer of authority, it should be approached carefully.
Related phrases people often use
- guardian for minor child
- adult guardianship
- supported decision-making
- ward
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
May 7, 2024
New Developments for a Change!
Spring greetings, everyone! I was going to grouse about the weather taking forever to perk up, but today looks like it's doing its best to keep my mouth shut. I...
May 22, 2015
Modern Families by Phil Runyon
Modern Families Let's start with the situation that sends a shiver through every parent - what to do if one of the kids is missing (heaven forbid). Well, if you...
May 19, 2014
Elder Law Priorities by Phil Runyon
Elder Law Priorities Elder law is the fastest growing practice area for many lawyers, because people now entering their Medicare years are the fastest growing d...
April 1, 2014
Correcting Some Misconceptions by Phil Runyon
Correcting Some Misconceptions There are many misconceptions about the law that often seem to overwhelm the truth, so let's try to dispel a few of them. Many pe...
Related terms
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Elder Law and Incapacity Planning
Supported Decision-Making
Supported decision-making is an approach that helps a person receive guidance and assistance without immediately moving to a full guardianship.
It can be a useful alternative in situations where the goal is to preserve as much independence as possible while still giving a person meaningful help with important decisions.
Related phrases people often use
- guardianship alternative
- supporter
- principal
- life decisions
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
May 7, 2024
New Developments for a Change!
Spring greetings, everyone! I was going to grouse about the weather taking forever to perk up, but today looks like it's doing its best to keep my mouth shut. I...
Related terms
Learn more
Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Elder Law and Incapacity Planning
Medicaid Planning / Long-Term Care
Medicaid and long-term care planning focus on how care may be paid for and how assets may be protected when nursing home or other long-term care becomes a concern.
These issues often overlap with elder law, asset protection, family caregiving, and trust planning. Timing matters, and families usually benefit from looking at the bigger picture before a crisis narrows the available options.
Related phrases people often use
- nursing home planning
- medicaid eligibility
- asset protection
- spend down
- long-term care
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
February 10, 2026
Options Worth Considering No Matter What the Season
Medicaid Planning and Long-Term Care Options for New Hampshire Families Greetings again, everyone! This is my final summer offering, so I'm going to give you so...
October 12, 2017
LTC and TLC Considerations by Phil Runyon
LTC and TLC Considerations It turns out that most people aren't as worried about climate change or whether Twitter will go to 280 characters as they are about s...
February 28, 2014
Defending the Nest Egg by Phil Runyon
Defending the Nest Egg This message is probably more for readers at the far end of the age continuum - or for those of you with a senior or two that you're keep...
October 21, 2013
More Medicaid . . . and More by Phil Runyon
More Medicaid . . . and More There's new legislation on Medicaid - not Medicare - in New Hampshire that you should consider carefully. Let's get at it by way of...
More posts about this topic
October 11, 2013
Medicaid Untangled by Phil Runyon
Medicaid Untangled Trying to untangle the knot of myths and confusion about the Medicaid program is a daunting task, and it requires a huge disclaimer: There's...
March 16, 2012
Long Term Care Insurance by Phil Runyon
Long Term Care Insurance Attorneys who do estate planning are often asked how to structure their clients' affairs so their assets aren't all taken to pay nursin...
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Elder Law and Incapacity Planning
Special Needs Trust / ABLE Account
A special needs trust or ABLE account can help support a disabled beneficiary without automatically upsetting important benefit eligibility.
These tools are often used when a family wants to help a loved one while also preserving long-term stability and access to programs that may depend on asset and income limits.
Related phrases people often use
- snt
- disabled beneficiary
- able account
- supplemental needs
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
March 15, 2018
A Modest Proposal by Phil Runyon
A Modest Proposal Many of you have already taken the suggestion to convey your assets to revocable trusts to help your family avoid the winter (spring, summer a...
July 11, 2017
EnABLEd Accounts by Phil Runyon
EnABLEd Accounts We've probably all at least heard about so-called "special needs trusts", even if we've never met one in person. They're intended to provide su...
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Charitable Planning
Charitable Giving
Charitable giving can be part of an estate plan, retirement plan, or lifetime giving strategy.
Depending on the asset involved, charitable giving can support causes you care about while also coordinating with income tax, estate tax, or family planning goals. The best approach depends on what you are giving and when.
Related phrases people often use
- charity
- charitable ira
- qualified charitable distribution
- qcd
- nonprofit gift
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
December 15, 2025
Charity at Home is Important, too!
Holiday greetings again, everyone! Before all your families arrive in a week or so, and your households rival the Griswolds' in "Christmas Vacation" - though, g...
July 24, 2015
Be Charitable with IRAs by Phil Runyon
Be Charitable with IRAs I want to talk about IRAs and charities in the same breath here, and I want to acknowledge my good friends at the New Hampshire Charitab...
June 30, 2014
Be Charitable But Be Careful by Phil Runyon
Be Charitable But Be Careful A couple of weeks ago I was visiting Mom. During our chats around the kitchen table, I couldn't help noticing how many calls she go...
June 11, 2012
Charity Can be Self-Serving by Phil Runyon
Charity Can be Self-Serving Like me, I'm sure all of you have favorite non-profits that you try to help whenever you can. Maybe the hospital, hospice or youth c...
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Tax and Retirement Planning
Gift and Estate Tax
Gift and estate tax planning looks at when large gifts or transfers may create tax reporting or tax exposure.
Most families will never be close to the federal estate tax threshold, but the rules still matter in planning for larger estates, charitable gifts, generational transfers, and certain trust strategies.
Related phrases people often use
- federal estate tax
- gift tax
- annual exclusion
- gst tax
- taxable estate
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
February 28, 2019
Gist and Estate Taxes Untangled by Phil Runyon
Gift and Estate Taxes Untangled This time I want to shed some sunlight on how gift and estate taxes work. I spend a lot of time dispelling rumors about them tha...
December 5, 2014
Seasonal Generosity by Phil Runyon
Seasonal Generosity There's just so much going on during the weeks leading up to the holidays that it's hard to see your way through. One important task, though...
February 8, 2013
A Unique Idea by Phil Runyon
A Unique Idea I've mentioned a number of times that we can all make annual gifts to our family members without incurring any gift tax consequences, if we restri...
November 1, 2012
Food For Year-End Thought by Phil Runyon
Food For Year-End Thought We've got about 2 months to go before the end of the year, which is when all our current estate and gift tax goodies are due to expire...
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February 17, 2012
Estate and Gift Tax Update by Phil Runyon
Estate and Gift Tax Update You are probably aware that until the end of 2012, the estate, generation-skipping transfer (GST) and gift tax rate is 35 percent, an...
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Tax and Retirement Planning
IRA / Retirement Accounts
IRAs and other retirement accounts often follow their own beneficiary rules and distribution rules, which makes them a special part of estate planning.
Questions about required minimum distributions, inherited account rules, charitable transfers, and beneficiary designations can all affect how these assets fit into the rest of a plan.
Related phrases people often use
- rmd
- required minimum distribution
- secure act
- ira beneficiary
- retirement plan
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
October 24, 2025
Some Year-End RMD Strategies and a Bit More
Crispy Fall greetings, everyone! It's been a while since I've written, so lest you completely forget me and I end up in your spam folder, I want to reconnect an...
February 6, 2020
SECURE in the Knowledge
No matter where you are this winter, you'll eventually need to know at least the high points of the new SECURE Act of 2019, much of which became effective on Ja...
July 24, 2015
Be Charitable with IRAs by Phil Runyon
Be Charitable with IRAs I want to talk about IRAs and charities in the same breath here, and I want to acknowledge my good friends at the New Hampshire Charitab...
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Scam Prevention and Practical Advice
Document Organization
Document organization means knowing what you have, where the originals are, and how the important people in your life would find what they need.
A good plan is easier to carry out when powers of attorney, wills, trusts, account information, and related records are organized sensibly. This is often one of the most practical parts of planning.
Related phrases people often use
- where to keep documents
- original will
- safe deposit box
- records
- estate binder
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
June 5, 2019
What to Do with Those Documents
**This time around I'm going to assume you've fully executed all those planning documents I harp on - you have, right? - and talk instead about what to do with...
January 25, 2016
Another Planning Resolution by Phil Runyon
Another Planning Resolution In addition to resolving to being nicer people this year, let's also resolve to keep our planning documents in good order - and let'...
October 23, 2015
Protecting Your Most Precious Assets by Phil Runyon
Protecting Your Most Precious Assets t's always important to get your affairs in order - just in case things happen unexpectedly - but there's one organizing jo...
March 20, 2013
More About Organization by Phil Runyon
More About Organization Whenever we lose someone important to us, particularly when it happens suddenly and too soon, we eventually think about whether we'd be...
More posts about this topic
July 2, 2012
First, Get Organized! by Phil Runyon
First, Get Organized! These messages aren't intended to ruin your day by reminding you repeatedly about the transitory nature of human life. No, they're aimed a...
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Family / Beneficiary Planning
Planning After Divorce / Remarriage
Divorce, remarriage, and blended family circumstances often require a careful review of beneficiary choices, fiduciary appointments, and inheritance plans.
What made sense in a first marriage or earlier stage of life may no longer fit after a divorce, second marriage, or changing family structure. These are planning issues that are often easier to address before assumptions harden into conflict.
Related phrases people often use
- ex-spouse beneficiary
- blended family
- prenuptial agreement
- postnuptial agreement
- second marriage
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
March 22, 2026
Both a Free Movie and an Update
Spring greetings, everyone - It's so good finally to say those words that I'm tempted to leave it at that. Here's an invitation to a free showing of To Kill a Mockingbird, along with updates on new finCEN real estate rules and later-life prenuptial concerns...
May 22, 2015
Asset Beneficiaries are Important by Phil Runyon
Asset Beneficiaries are important As we all know (some more traumatically than others), the divorce bug has attacked nearly every family at some point. And when...
April 1, 2014
Correcting Some Misconceptions by Phil Runyon
Correcting Some Misconceptions There are many misconceptions about the law that often seem to overwhelm the truth, so let's try to dispel a few of them. Many pe...
August 26, 2013
Post-Nuptial Agreements Now, Too! by Phil Runyon
Post-Nuptial Agreements Now, Too! Remember when I went on and on awhile back about pre-nuptial agreements and how they absolutely positively have to be negotiat...
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Selected term
Family / Beneficiary Planning
Family Communication / Difficult Conversations
Many planning problems are not really document problems at all. They are communication problems.
Families often do better when expectations, wishes, and hard topics are addressed before illness, incapacity, or grief puts more pressure on the conversation. The right conversation can reduce surprises and make later decisions easier.
Related phrases people often use
- family meeting
- talking to children
- elder parent
- planning conversation
- beneficiary expectations
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
June 5, 2024
Common Dilemmas You May Recognize
I won't offend any of you by assuming you're regular readers of the AARP magazine quite yet, but a recent issue raised some of the knottiest planning dilemmas f...
March 5, 2020
Suggestions for Senior Dilemmas
Here's a scenario to consider: Your dyed-in-the-wool New England Yankee parent or grandparent is still living alone in the old Cape or Colonial they've been in...
June 10, 2016
The Conversation by Phil Runyon
The Conversation I hope your good weather activities are off to a fast start - and that all your hiking and biking are making estate planning less urgent, shall...
November 19, 2014
Express Your Trust Intentions by Phil Runyon
Express Your Trust Intentions Thanksgiving, more than any other holiday, seems to bring us together not only for a gargantuan meal, but also for those awkward c...
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September 5, 2014
A Difficult Conversation by Phil Runyon
A Difficult Conversation Before moving on to a new message here, let me pass on a comment I received from a reader about the article on joint tenancies. He ment...
May 22, 2013
Making it Clear and Keeping the Peace by Phil Runyon
Making it Clear and Keeping the Peace Let's face it, most people's planning decisions are more vanilla than Cherry Garcia. They just want to provide for their s...
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
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Scam Prevention and Practical Advice
Scam Prevention / Elder Financial Abuse
Scam prevention and financial abuse issues often arise where there is urgency, isolation, or a vulnerable person whose information or assets can be exploited.
This topic overlaps with powers of attorney, document safety, suspicious transfers, and plain practical caution. Families often benefit from early conversations and better recordkeeping before a problem becomes harder to unwind.
Related phrases people often use
- elder scams
- fraud prevention
- financial exploitation
- suspicious calls
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
February 11, 2026
Scam Prevention and Avoidance
Scam Awareness and Prevention Tips for New Hampshire Families This installment is about scams - not scabs, scars or Spam - and so I appreciate your opening this...
June 30, 2014
Be Charitable But Be Careful by Phil Runyon
Be Charitable But Be Careful A couple of weeks ago I was visiting Mom. During our chats around the kitchen table, I couldn't help noticing how many calls she go...
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
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Real Estate and Probate Avoidance
Real Estate in Estate Planning
Real estate often raises special estate planning questions because title, deeds, co-ownership, and transfer methods all matter.
A home, camp, rental property, or family land may fit into an estate plan in several different ways. The right approach often depends on who owns the property now, how it is financed, and whether probate avoidance is actually a useful goal in that situation.
Related phrases people often use
- deed
- homestead
- real estate transfer
- nh deed
- joint deed
Relevant practice pages
Related Food for Thought posts
May 7, 2024
New Developments for a Change!
Spring greetings, everyone! I was going to grouse about the weather taking forever to perk up, but today looks like it's doing its best to keep my mouth shut. I...
January 7, 2014
Joint Tenants Take Note by Phil Runyon
Joint Tenants Take Note As the heading suggests, I'm out to toss a little cold water on the common technique many of us employ to pass our worldly stuff on to o...
August 9, 2013
Still More Real Estate by Phil Runyon
Still More Real Estate Before leaving the subject of real estate transactions, here are just a few more tips that might be helpful when the time comes. If you'r...
July 18, 2013
More Summer Real Estate by Phil Runyon
More Summer Real Estate I wrote previously about getting the right professional help when you pull up stakes and head for your next residential destination. Fro...
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July 11, 2013
Summer Buying and Selling by Phil Runyon
Summer Buying and Selling Summer is traditionally the time of year when the real estate market heats up, and people make a concerted push to actively market wha...
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Have questions about how this applies to your family or estate? Contact Runyon Law Office PLLC to schedule a consultation.
Not legal advice
A note about Food for Thought
Food for Thought offers general educational commentary only and is not legal advice. Reading a post, using the glossary, or following links on this section of the site does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please contact Runyon Law Office PLLC if you would like advice about your own situation.
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