About Canaan Suitt, J.D.
Canaan Suitt received his J.D. from William & Mary Law School. After serving as a senior editor for the law school’s comparative law blog, he was a staff member of the William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review (ELPR). As a legal intern at the National Center for State Courts, he assisted in international rule of law projects and policy review; as a research assistant, he studied political dynamics in the U.S. federal judiciary. His articles on law and philosophy have been published in the ELPR as well as the academic journal Dewey Studies. He loves using his background in research and writing to make legal information accessible. Canaan currently writes for SuperLawyers.com. In his free time, he enjoys reading, travel, and being a cat dad.
Articles written by Canaan Suitt, J.D.
What Are the Most Common Estate Disputes?
By preparing an estate plan, many people can avoid disputes over their property when they die. However, sometimes disputes arise among surviving family members even with careful estate planning. “There are all kinds of motives for why people do these things,” says Robert Will, an estate litigation lawyer at Lewis Rice in St. Louis, Missouri. “Sometimes, people are rightly indignant over problems with a will, or with how they have been treated, or how others may have …
How To Avoid Litigation Over Your Estate?
“Estate planning, simply put, is committing to writing how you want to have your property distributed after you die,” says Missouri estate litigation lawyer Robert Will. “It’s a way to provide for your family, friends, and any charities in a way that honors your desires. It’s your property, and you’re entitled to dispose of it as you see fit.” Without a will, confusion and disputes over how your property should be distributed can easily arise among family members. …
How Do You Contest a Will?
A will is a legal document that states a person's final wishes and says how they want their assets to be distributed when they die. If a person named in a will — called a beneficiary — thinks they haven’t received a fair share or that the will doesn’t express the deceased's actual wishes, they may challenge the will in probate court. This article will give an overview of some of main legal grounds to challenge a will. Speak with an experienced estate litigation attorney …
How Much Does a Lawyer Charge To Write a Will?
A last will and testament is a legal document that states your final wishes and directs how your estate should be distributed when you die. What is an estate? Your estate includes all your assets, including real estate, personal property, financial assets, and digital assets. There are many reasons why having a will is essential: It gives you peace of mind that your affairs are in order It provides your loved ones clarity about your final wishes It ensures your …
Different Types of Wills
A last will and testament is a core legal document of any estate plan. The person who makes a will is called the testator. Through the will, the testator makes their final wishes known and directs how their estate should be distributed when they die. Estate assets include real estate, personal property, and financial assets such as bank accounts. Without a will, your estate will be distributed through your state’s intestate succession laws. Generally, state laws distribute assets …
What Makes a Will Valid?
A will is a legal document that makes your final wishes known and makes a plan for how your estate will be distributed when you die. Having a will gives peace of mind to yourself and loved ones. Fortunately, wills are not difficult to create. "Though state laws vary, there are some basic requirements that are fairly universal,” says Robert Will, an estate and trust litigation lawyer at Lewis Rice in Saint Louis, Missouri. This article will explain the basic …
What Happens if You Die Without a Will?
When someone close passes away, there is a long list of decisions to be made and tasks to be completed in managing their affairs. Wills are created to assist loved ones in making some of these decisions. Dying without a will means you have very limited input into how your property gets distributed when you die or how your loved ones are financially provided for. State law will step in and make those decisions for you. “Do it,” urges estate planning lawyer Anita Rosenbloom of McDermott …
What Is the Difference Between a Will and a Trust?
You might think that only wealthy individuals have an estate. But an estate simply consists of the property you own. Estate assets include real estate, personal property, bank accounts, stocks, retirement accounts, and life insurance policies. So, if you own property, you have an estate. An estate plan prepares for end-of-life matters and what to do with your estate when you die. While planning for what happens after death may be uncomfortable, it ultimately gives greater peace …
Is Getting a Will Worth It?
Everyone has an estate, regardless of how big or small it is. An estate includes any property you own, including real estate, bank accounts, retirement accounts, and life insurance policies. “A will is one of the legal documents that disposes of your estate when you die. It also sets the terms under which people are going to inherit,” says Jeremy D. Rachlin, an estate planning attorney at Bulman, Dunie, Burke, & Feld in Bethesda, Maryland. Many Americans don't have a will, despite …
What Is the Difference Between a Living Will and a Will?
Despite sounding the same, a will and a living will are very different documents in an estate plan, says Maryland estate planning attorney Jeremy D. Rachlin. “‘Will’ is short for ‘last will and testament.’ It's a legal document that governs the post-death distribution of assets. A living will, by contrast, is a document that commonly deals with end-of-life medical treatment such as medical intervention to expand my life under certain conditions.” In other words, a will focuses …
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