Thirteen Estate Planning Terms You Need to Know

Estate planning—it is an incredibly important tool, not just for the uber wealthy or those thinking about retirement. On the contrary, estate planning is something every adult should do. Estate planning can help you accomplish any number of goals, including appointing guardians for minor children, choosing healthcare agents to make decisions for you should you
Read more
No Comments

Estate Planning in the Age of COVID-19

Book, Hourglass
Estate planning is important for everyone, regardless of your financial circumstances.  For example, you could be worth very little and still need someone to make health care decisions for you and manage your bank account in the event you became incapacitated.  Without proper planning, even these simple matters could require a court proceeding. Although estate
Read more
No Comments

Understanding How Property Ownership Affects Your Estate Planning Goals

estate planning goals 2020
Having a will or a living trust in place is a great start to a comprehensive estate plan. However, it is also important to make sure that all of your assets are titled in a manner that will ultimately accomplish estate planning objectives. The most common forms of ownership are as follows: Sole Ownership Sole
Read more
No Comments

3 Reasons It’s Important to Update Your Will

living will estate planning attorney madison wi
If you already have a will, you are ahead of the many Americans who have not yet taken this important estate planning step. However, making a will is not a one-time project. For this instrument to remain an effective way to distribute your property, it is vital to periodically review and update your will. An
Read more
No Comments

How will my family pay for my funeral?

funeral estate planning madison wi
Upon the death of a loved one, one of the most immediate, pressing concerns is often how the family will pay for his or her funeral expenses. This guide is designed to address common misconceptions and to provide guidance from an estate planning attorney’s perspective. Faulty Solution: I have named my child as a payable-on-death
Read more
No Comments

What to Consider When Setting Up Trusts for Children

Trusts for children estate planning attorney madison wi
Part of being a parent involves ensuring your children are secure financially when you pass away. This is the reason why it is paramount to pursue estate planning early on when your children are still minors. Many parents have discovered the benefits of trusts for children, and you may want to consider placing your assets
Read more
No Comments

I have an estate plan in place! Now what?

health care planning madison wi
According to Caring.com’s 2019 survey, 57 percent of U.S. adults do not currently have estate planning documents such as a will or living trust. If you are among the 43 percent who have created an estate plan, congratulations on taking the necessary steps to provide peace of mind for yourself and for your family. Now
Read more
No Comments

John Horn Featured on 93.1 JAMZ

Image
So much fun having Estate Planning Attorney John Horn “Horn & Johnson SC” on #fitandfabulous. My friend John helped me and my family and I feel #fabulous knowing my loved ones will be taken care of when it’s my time to leave this beautiful ???? It’s the BEST GIFT to give❤️ Learn what an estate plan is, what is probate, how can you protect
Read more
No Comments

Estate Planning & Why You Need It!

John Horn and Dera Johnsen
Join Attorneys John Horn and Dera Johnsen-Tracy of Horn & Johnsen SC for this free seminar. Learn critical information on trusts, Medicaid protections and proper planning. Learn how to avoid probate and eliminate thousands of dollars in expense and months of stressful court proceedings. Get beneficiary designations done right. When: Tuesday, November 5, 2019 Time:
Read more
No Comments

3 Essential Health Care Planning Documents

health care planning madison wi
When people think of “estate planning,” they often consider only what will happen with their assets upon death and, if they have minor children, who will care for them.  However, death planning is only one piece of the estate planning puzzle.  A comprehensive estate plan should include not only a will or living trust, but
Read more
No Comments

Dera L. Johnsen-Tracy of Horn & Johnsen SC Celebrates 10 Years as an Attorney

Madison, Wisconsin, March 29, 2019: Horn & Johnsen SC is pleased to announce Dera L. Johnsen-Tracy’s celebration of 10 years of practicing law. Dera L. Johnsen-Tracy is Shareholder and Co-Founder of Horn & Johnsen SC. The Wisconsin-based estate planning firm works with clients on a variety of issues to help them confidently and securely plan
Read more
No Comments

Living Trust vs. Will: What You Need To Know

Senior Citizens shaking hands.
You’ve probably heard the terms living will and trust used interchangeably. Although both a will and a living trust are important estate planning documents, they are actually very different. If you are new to the process of planning for your estate, it’s important understand how living trusts and wills are used. Basic Definitions This document
Read more
No Comments

What Is a Pour-Over Will?

Pouring milk onto an espresso
Many people assume a living trust is all they need to pass on their assets to beneficiaries upon their death. However, unless every asset is documented in the trust, this can be a difficult and long process. A pour-over will can help your estate planning be complete. Pour-Over Will Basics To begin with, a pour-over
Read more
No Comments

John Horn and Dera Johnsen-Tracy Published in AAII Journal

AAII Logo against blue background
Madison, Wisconsin, November 17, 2018: John Horn and Dera Johnsen-Tracy published an article, “Using Beneficiary-Directed Trusts to Protect Your Heirs,” in the October issue of the AAII Journal, the official publication of the American Institute of Individual Investors (AAII). In their article, John and Dera summarize how beneficiary-directed trusts can be used in estate planning,
Read more
No Comments

4 Common Myths About Estate Planning

A generic last will and testament.
An estate plan can be complicated, and there are many myths surrounding the process. From probate to guardianship to simple wills and trusts, there are many aspects of planning that should be reviewed by an attorney. Planning is important for every single individual who wants to see their assets and wealth passed down in the
Read more
No Comments

Finding the Right Probate Lawyer

probate lawyer madison wi
If you are interested in setting up a plan for your estate if you were to become incapacitated or pass away suddenly, the best way to do that is with the help of a qualified, experienced probate lawyer. Finding a good lawyer can be like searching for a needle in a haystack, so we have
Read more
No Comments

Conservatorships and Adult Guardianship

adult guardianship estate planning attorney madison wi
As an adult, it is assumed that you can care for yourself and make decisions regarding your estate and your welfare. However, times arise when a person is unable to care for themselves and at that point, a court-appointed decision maker may step in. These people are known as conservators or guardians and they are
Read more
No Comments

WealthCounsel and ElderCounsel’s Symposium – 07/31/2018

conference-symposium-estate-planning
Attorneys John Horn and Dera Johnsen-Tracy are proud members of WealthCounsel, LLC, a highly respected national consortium of estate planning attorneys. John and Dera have been invited to present as faculty at the WealthCounsel and ElderCounsel’s national Symposium 2018 in San Diego, California! For more information, visit https://wealthcounsel.swoogo.com/symposium2018/. For tickets visit https://wealthcounsel.swoogo.com/symposium2018/.
Read more
No Comments

CLE – On Borrowed Time: Emergency Estate Planning – 5/3/2018

state-bar-madison-wi-estate-planning
Attorneys can register through the State Bar of Wisconsin (PINNACLE) for “On Borrowed Time: Emergency Estate Planning” at the State Bar Center on Thursday, May 3rd from 8:30am-3:50pm. Dera is one of several presenters for this program. Find Out More Information Here.
Read more
No Comments

When is it too late for Estate Planning?

Pensive elderly man portrait, copy space
A Trip to Mexico I recently took a trip to central Mexico to visit my parents, who have retired there. While eating breakfast at a restaurant in the Mérida airport upon our arrival my husband asked my 96-year-old grandmother, who was diagnosed several years ago with Alzheimer’s disease and now lives with my parents, “So Mary,
Read more
No Comments

The Handshake Agreement is Worth the Paper it is Written On

probate-airplanes-madison-wi
Airplanes and Wills Co-ownership of an airplane is the cheapest way to fly. Many pilots start out in one of these. Variations of this type of ownership are flying clubs, fractional ownership, or unspoken agreements that more than one person fly an aircraft titled to one person. As the cost of aircraft maintenance and storage
Read more
No Comments