Seven Ways to Avoid Family Fights over Your Property Understanding Why Property Plans Lead to Disputes When someone passes away, unanswered questions about who gets what can spark conflict. In North Carolina, probate law governs how property transfers after death. Without clear instructions, heirs may disagree over the estate administrator’s decisions, the value of assets…
Help! I’ve Been Named as a Guardian. What Do I Do? 1. Understanding Your Role and Initial Steps When a court names you as a guardian in North Carolina, you gain both authority and responsibility to care for someone who cannot make decisions on their own—either a minor or an adult with impaired capacity. North…
Planning for Stepchildren and Grandchildren in North Carolina Detailed Answer North Carolina law does not automatically give stepchildren or grandchildren a share of an estate. If someone dies without a valid will, the state follows intestate succession rules in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 29-14. These laws name blood relatives—spouse, children, parents, siblings, and more ahead…
Picking the Right Team for Probate in North Carolina 1. Detailed Answer Navigating probate in North Carolina requires more than legal filings. It demands a strong support network. Selecting the right professionals helps you manage each step with confidence. At Pierce Law Group, we guide you through these decisions so you protect your loved one’s…
Can or Should I Hand Write My Will? Detailed Answer In North Carolina, you can write your own will by hand. The law recognizes a handwritten, or “holographic,” will if you meet certain requirements. According to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 31-2.2, a holographic will must be entirely in your own handwriting and signed by you.…
We All Need a Yearly Check-up: Your Estate Plan Does Too We go to the doctor to get our check-up’s just to make sure that we are in good health and to detect and treat any problems that we may not even have been aware of. These are the very same reasons why it is…
Your Time is Valuable. Let us help you get a jump start on Estate Planning. In the hustle and bustle of life, many of us struggle with prioritizing what tasks to complete and when. I often find myself avoiding those personal tasks that I know are important (but are not currently pressing) in favor of…
Charitable Giving in Your Estate Plan Including Charitable Gifts in Your Estate Plan Charitable giving lets you support nonprofit causes you value long after you pass. You can leave money or property to one or more charities. You decide whether to give a fixed dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or specific assets like…
You’ve Taken Care Of Others, But Have You Taken Care of Yourself? Planning Your Own Estate in North Carolina Many people devote years to caring for family members, yet they delay planning their own estates. Without a clear plan, you risk leaving loved ones to navigate probate court, tax issues, and asset distribution on their…
Things Every Mother Needs to Know About Estate Planning 1. Essential Estate Planning Tools for Mothers in North Carolina Estate planning helps mothers protect their children, assets, and wishes if they become unable to make decisions or pass away. In North Carolina, an effective plan usually includes a last will and testament, powers of attorney,…
What Happens When You Die Without a Will in North Carolina? Understanding Intestate Succession and Probate Administration When someone dies without a will, North Carolina law treats that person as dying “intestate.” Intestate succession sets the rules for how the decedent’s property passes to heirs. The estate must still go through probate, even without a…
Estate Planning Has Never Been More Imperative Why Estate Planning Matters Now Life changes quickly. Major health events, sudden illness, or unexpected death can leave loved ones scrambling. Without a plan, North Carolina law decides how to distribute your assets. That process often ties up funds in probate for months or even years. Proper estate…
Join Us For Our First Coronavirus Quarantine Video Chat Happy Hour! Quarantine and social distancing got you down? Are you feeling the need to socialize again? Well, we’ve got your back! While I imagine the four walls of your house have been incredibly fun to stare at for the past couple of weeks, it’s time…
Durham Estate Planning Lawyer – Estate Planning In NC with Bitcoin Audio Transcript: Estate Planning with Bitcoin 2020 Presentation Attorney Koenig: All right. So, I am glad to be here and you will be too. I expect that probably half of you are here because you think Bitcoin is the stupidest idea in the world.…
Leveraging our unique circumstances to answer your questions There are a couple of different ways to go about handling the Coronavirus pandemic and the unique uncharacteristic situations it puts us in — 1) sit in your house and watch Netflix until the end of time 2) eat all of your quarantine snacks in 30 minutes…
Pierce Law Group – Open and Ready for Duty Our Commitment to Probate Clients Pierce Law Group remains fully open and ready to assist families with all aspects of probate administration in North Carolina. We guide personal representatives through every step under Chapter 28A of the North Carolina General Statutes. Our team works efficiently to…
Quarantined? Got a legal question? Get some coffee and answers from our experienced team of attorneys during this live Q&A Session U N C E R T A I N T Y– That is really what’s killing us in these difficult times, isn’t it? The whispers of information that we will never truly be able…
COVID-19 Announcement: Emergency Pro Bono Legal Services to Protect At-Risk Individuals You’ve likely heard about the coronavirus on the news or at least have seen it all over the headlines. It’s often hard to determine the severity of situations like these based on what you hear on the news, but what we do know is…
SECURE Act Workshop Audio and Transcript Learn strategies and legal tips from experienced estate planning attorney, Doug Koenig and guest speaker Joel Levy, CPA! This presentation was offered as a free, no-obligation, workshop designed to educate individuals and families about how the SECURE Act has impacted individual retirement accounts. This workshop covered important information about…
Trivia Night Result – “We’re all winners… well maybe not” The beginning of the year is always an extremely hectic time for our firm. That being said, last night we finally took the opportunity to slow down just for a little while and enjoy some time with each other, catching up, laughing, drinking a beer…
Announcement – Pierce Law Group’s Open House You’re not truly family until you’ve gone over to someone’s house… While I’m partly being humorous, I also sense that you know exactly what I’m talking about… Sure, going out to dinner with a friend is nice, and grabbing coffee together is great, but there is something different…
What to Expect From an Initial Estate Planning Meeting It doesn’t matter whether you have prepared an estate plan with an attorney before or whether this is your first time considering doing so, it is critical to fully understand how important a personal connection to your lawyer can be to your success. As I write…
Donating or Gifting Virtual Currency – North Carolina Bitcoin Lawyers If you are thinking of donating cryptocurrency to a charity, there are a few things you should consider. First, the charity you choose must be a 501(c)(3) organization approved by the IRS for tax-deductible donations, and second, you need to see if they accept cryptocurrency…
Fair Market Value – North Carolina Bitcoin Lawyer Determining the fair market value of cryptocurrency can prove to be a difficult task, especially for the ordinary taxpayer. The IRS Notice 2014-21 which classified virtual currency as property for federal tax purposes, specifically stated that taxpayers must report the fair market value of virtual currency as…
