Navigator-Advisor Newsletter

Many Gulf Coast advisors work with clients who own a vacation home. They know the property exists. They may have factored it into the financial plan. What often goes unaddressed is the legal structure around it and what happens when there is none. This is worth a conversation. Why the Vacation Home Gets Overlooked Advisors are thorough about retirement accounts, life insurance, and … [Read more...] about The Vacation Home Your Client Has Not Planned For

Remarriage is one of the most common life events that exposes gaps in an existing estate plan, and one of the least likely to be caught before it causes a problem. For advisors working with clients in Alabama, understanding what the law does and does not do in a blended family situation is essential context for identifying when a referral to an estate planning attorney is not just helpful but … [Read more...] about When a Client Remarries: What Advisors Need to Know About Estate Planning in Alabama

Most estate planning conversations cover the expected ground. Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, beneficiary designations. The right of disposition rarely comes up. That gap is worth closing. In Alabama, funeral and burial decisions follow a specific legal priority order. When family members cannot agree, the dispute can reach a probate court judge within hours of a death. For clients with … [Read more...] about Who Controls the Funeral? What Alabama Law Says About Disposition of the Body

One of the most common phrases in estate planning conversations is some version of: "We are a close family. Everyone gets along. My kids will figure it out." Clients say it with genuine confidence. They mean it. And from a relationship standpoint, they may be entirely right. From a legal standpoint, it is incomplete. For advisors working with clients on financial planning, retirement, or … [Read more...] about What Advisors Should Know When a Client Says “My Family Will Figure It Out”

It happens more often than most professionals expect. A client becomes incapacitated, and the family member who has been closest to them for decades tries to step in. They call the financial institution. They attempt to access accounts to cover bills and ongoing expenses. They are turned away. Not because anyone doubts the relationship. Not because the institution is being unreasonable. It … [Read more...] about Can a Family Member Access a Client’s Finances Without a Power of Attorney in Alabama?

Unmarried couples represent a growing segment of the population, and many of them are sitting across the table from financial professionals, CPAs, and other advisors without any awareness of how significantly Alabama law limits their legal standing when one partner dies. For professionals working with these clients, understanding where Alabama draws the line on common law marriage is not a legal … [Read more...] about Common Law Marriage in Alabama: What Professionals Should Know When Working With Unmarried Clients