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June 2026
FAMILY, MEMORY, AND TIME TOGETHER
A Tradition That Kept Us Close
When I got married, I stepped into a family tradition that had already been going on for years. Laurie’s family always went to Cherry Grove Beach in South Carolina, and her parents always rented the same condo for a week. The funny part is that Laurie and I had both spent summers at the same beach as kids, long before we knew each other. After we got married, we continued to go there. Then we had kids and brought them. Laurie’s sister got married and started bringing her family. My mother also started joining us. Before long, what started as a beach trip had become a gathering of three generations. A Question to Ask (or Answer for) a Loved One Asking and answering important questions helps preserve your family’s values and life lessons for generations to come. What do you really want your kids or grandkids to learn from you? It wasn’t anything fancy. As the family grew, we were all crammed into the same place, and that was part of the experience. We would eat together, squeeze around the table, sit out on the balcony at night, and talk. Sometimes, there was a guitar and singing, and other times, we played games. A lot of the time, though, nothing much was happening at all, which may have been the point. I think those trips worked best when we didn’t try to fill every minute. Modern life already gives us plenty of chances to stay busy. What these trips gave us was a reason to slow down long enough to actually catch up. Looking back, I don’t think of one big anecdote or one perfect moment from those trips. What stays with me most is simply the nice feeling of spending time together. Part of what made that time at the beach meaningful was that it brought people together who didn’t get to see each other or talk very much. In everyday life, everyone is busy, and if you don’t make a point of gathering, it often doesn’t happen. Even for those of us who are a little more introverted, something about being in the same place makes conversations easier. I am not likely to pick up
the phone and call my sister-in-law just to chat, but if we are sitting beside each other on the porch, we’re going to talk. That was true with younger family members, too. You would hear what was going on in their lives. At the same time, they were picking up family stories, values, and history. Nobody had to turn any of it into a lesson. They absorbed it by example and just from being around the same table and hearing the same stories enough times for them to start meaning something. I don’t know that I appreciated all of this in the moment it was happening. You always have the usual chaos, along with the occasional stress and annoyances that come with a family vacation. Those things have a way of crowding out the bigger picture while you’re living it. In hindsight, though, it’s easy to see that those trips were doing more than filling a week on a calendar. They were helping hold the family together. Today, our family gatherings have a different feel than they once did. It’s hard not to notice the people missing from the table, but
it deepens my appreciation for the time we had with them. It’s also a good reminder to pay more attention to the time we have now with the people who are still here.
“Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” JOB 12:12 Philip J. Corson, Founder
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A GUIDE TO PROBATE-FREE ESTATE PLANNING THE LEGACY LOCK
The words you leave behind can matter just as much as the ones you speak in life.
a laborious process, probate makes a person’s will a public record. Creating a trust instead of relying solely on a will can help keep those matters private while often speeding up the settlement process. Trusts can also serve a wide range of purposes, including supporting charities, offering potential tax benefits, and helping beneficiaries with special needs receive financial support without risking certain Social Security or Medicaid benefits. Better Banking With Beneficiaries If you want funds in a bank account to pass to someone outside of probate, establishing a pay-on-death account in advance is one of the best ways to avoid confusion about who should receive the funds. You can create a pay-on-death account by completing a form notifying your banking institution of who should have the right to access your checking and/or savings account. The individual(s) named on this form would not have access in your lifetime, and you can still withdraw funds from these accounts whenever you choose. Life Insurance Legacy Protection If you intend to designate a beneficiary for your life insurance, naming them in the policy rather than in your estate plan will help circumvent probate. By naming individuals instead of your estate as beneficiaries, those recipients can use the payout to help cover debts, estate taxes, and other expenses. Wise Counsel for Wealth Just as no two estate plans are alike, every strategy to help avoid probate should be tailored to the individual’s specific needs and adhere to state regulations and exemptions. While the information in this article is intended as a guide, the best way to ensure your plan is compliant and carried out properly is to seek advice from an experienced attorney in your state. With so much depending on your plan’s accuracy, it’s critical to carefully consider your decisions and work with a professional who can help you avoid probate and ensure your legacy lives on in ways that align with your wishes.
Estate planning is an essential process that helps protect your loved ones and beneficiaries from confusion and legal and logistical concerns after your passing. Individual goals vary, but avoiding the expense, stress, and privacy concerns associated with a lengthy probate process is one of the most common aims of a well-structured plan. Here are five strategies that can add clarity to your documents and help keep probate off the table. A Property Passage Plan To help keep real estate out of probate, consider establishing a joint tenancy with your spouse or other co-owner so the property passes directly to the surviving owner. This arrangement helps reduce ownership ambiguity after your death. However, it also carries risks. If a surviving co-owner becomes incapacitated, a court may still need to appoint someone to manage that person’s interests, which can introduce additional complications. A Path to Privacy Protection For many estate planning clients, privacy protection is a primary reason for avoiding probate. In addition to being
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When most history buffs reflect on the Revolutionary War, they often think of cowboys, submariners, and gender-bending colonists … right ? Beneath the popular narrative of the Revolutionary War lies a slew of surprising facts that add color to what most citizens know and understand about this pivotal moment in American history. Here are a few tales from the battlefield (and below it) that prove truth is always stranger than fiction (or at least what we learned in school). The Lawless Looting of the Colonial Countryside Long before John Wayne personified American grit, cowboy culture played a significant role in the British military. In Westchester County, New York, a team of cattlemen-turned- bandits led by British loyalist Oliver De Lancey aided English forces by robbing colonists’ farms for supplies. In addition to causing mayhem on farmlands, De Lancey’s criminal crew became embroiled in a fierce rivalry with a band of cowboys from New Jersey, the Skinners, in a race to surpass each other’s plundering. Democracy’s Disguised Defender In 1782, a 22-year-old man named Robert Shurtleff decided to join the effort to oppose British rule by serving as a scout for the colonists in New York. The Plymouth, Massachusetts, native served the cause well before an unexpected illness forced him into a hospital in Pennsylvania the following year. Once under physicians’ care, they discovered that Robert Shurtleff was actually a young woman named Deborah Sampson. The former teacher had disguised herself as a man to serve in the military, successfully hiding her true identity for several months. After receiving an honorable discharge and being awarded a military pension, she chose to live a quieter life on a farm in Massachusetts, where she raised a family and left behind her wartime persona. The Turtle vs. the Titan As the Royal Navy grew stronger during the war, a Connecticut- based inventor named David Bushnell created a one-person vessel designed to sneak past British blockades. Funded by George Washington and named the “Turtle,” the small, submersible ship was supposed to enable colonists to enter enemy waters and plant bombs Revolutionary War Revelations Battles, Bandits, and Brave Deceptions
TAKE A BREAK
BEACH BURGERS CYCLING FATHER JUNETEENTH
MUSIC PEARL PRIDE REFUGEE SAILING
SOLSTICE WATERSKI Grilled Whole Chicken and Vegetables
• 1 whole chicken • 1 lemon, halved • 2 tsp onion powder • Salt and pepper, to taste • Extra-virgin olive oil Ingredients
• 3 bell peppers, quartered • 1 zucchini, sliced • 1 summer squash, sliced • 2 red onions, quartered
Directions 1. Turn the grill on high heat. 2. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the chicken’s backbone and remove it. 3. Turn the chicken over on a baking sheet and press it flat. 4. Squeeze the lemon over the chicken and season with onion powder, salt, and pepper.
5. Brush the chicken and grill grates with olive oil. 6. Place the chicken skin-side down onto the grill.
undetected. Unfortunately, design issues plagued the “Turtle,” resulting in limited visibility and oxygen levels, so they promptly retired it. Despite the ship’s failure, it served as the rudimentary inspiration for modern submarines.
7. Grill for 12–15 minutes until charred. Flip the chicken and grill for 25–30 minutes. Flip it again and let it cook fully before removing from the grill and letting it rest. 8. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper, then brush them with olive oil. 9. Grill the vegetables for 6–7 minutes, until tender. Enjoy!
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803-746-7000 planningyourlegacy.com PO Box 100 Bowling Green, SC 29703
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
The Gatherings That Stay With You
2
Keep Assets Clear of Courts
3
Grilled Whole Chicken and Vegetables
Facts Beyond the History Books
4
Love, Legacy, and the Law
ESTATE PROTECTIONS FOR UNWED PARTNERS COUPLES IN CONTROL
While it’s difficult to say goodbye to a loved one under any circumstance, the loss can be even more upsetting when an improperly devised estate plan puts the deceased’s legacy and wishes at risk. This dilemma is especially common among unmarried partners who are left without legal standing over their significant other’s estate upon their passing. Fortunately, there are a host of ways to protect an unmarried partner from complications if you pass away or become incapacitated. First and foremost, crafting an estate plan is essential to providing for anyone in your life. If you don’t have one in place, state law dictates that your assets will be distributed to your closest relatives. If you don’t want that, you must create a plan that states your wishes clearly, including instructions specifying who will receive particular assets. Additionally, a power of attorney can be drafted to provide clear directives for others, including your unmarried partner,
to follow if you become incapacitated and are unable to make your own medical and logistical decisions. Through health care and durable powers of attorney, you can assign your partner the authority to make critical decisions on your behalf, regardless of marital status. This arrangement is also beneficial if an unmarried partner maintains a shared mortgage or handles other expenses in your absence without having to argue for this authority in court. Additionally, holding joint ownership of certain assets (such as a home) can make it easier for your partner to inherit them. This is only a general overview of some of the most common solutions to estate planning issues involving unmarried partners. The best path is to seek guidance from an experienced estate planning attorney in your state for a more comprehensive view of your options, particularly if you and your partner have children.
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