Brodowski, McCurry, Miller & Hoekenschnieder

09/26/2025

Big News! Today Rylan Lusk received the good news that he passed the bar exam and officially becomes the newest attorney at our firm. We are excited about your future. Congratulations Rylan!

05/28/2025

What is Probate anyways?

It's a question we get all of the time and one that is most often confused. Probate is the legal process that happens after someone passes away to settle their estate. This court-supervised process involves validating the deceased person's Will (if one exists), paying off debts and taxes, and distributing remaining assets to beneficiaries or heirs.

The process typically takes at minimum 6 months, but is often longer depending on the estate's complexity. Not all assets go through probate - things like jointly owned property, retirement accounts with named beneficiaries, and assets in trusts usually avoid this process.

Although probate procedures are designed to provie for an orderly administration of an estates, family dynamics and poorly drafted Wills can lead to difficult probates. What have you heard from others who've gone through probates?

05/26/2025

Today we pause to remember and honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Their courage and dedication allow us to live, work, and serve our community every day.

We are deeply grateful for their service and the families who carry on their legacy. Because of their sacrifice, we have the privilege to practice law in this great country.

Thank you to all who have served and to those who gave everything for our liberty.

05/22/2025

It was a double birthday at our office this week! Help us wish a very Happy Birthday to David McCurry and Laressa Benton!!

05/19/2025

As estate planning attorneys, one of the most meaningful conversations we have with families is about wills versus trusts.

Many families don't realize that a will must go through probate court—often taking months and becoming public record—while a revocable living trust can transfer assets immediately and privately.

We walk through this conversation with our clients. Understanding the advantages of each of these documents allows us to meet the goals of the people we work with. We've seen the moment when it clicks with a client and the relief they have when they realize there's a plan that works.

What concerns you most about planning for your family's future?

05/12/2025

ESTATE PLANNING ALERT: The Hidden Dangers of Joint Bank Accounts

Joint bank accounts can seem like a convenient solution for managing finances, especially as you age. They can be a great tool to allow trusted family members to help pay bills, access funds during emergencies, and avoid probate after death.

BUT BEWARE: Adding someone to your account as a joint owner could have serious unintended consequences.

What most people don't realize:
➡ Joint accounts automatically transfer 100% of the funds to the surviving owner upon death
➡ This happens REGARDLESS of what your Will says

We’ve seen the horror stories. We had one situation where a dad made a costly mistake. He had sold his house right before he died and put all the money into a bank account that had our client’s sibling as a co-owner (of course the siblings didn't get along). We had to break the bad news that because the sibling was a co-owner of that account, the sibling received all of that money, even though the Will divided everything equally among the kids.

It could have been avoided! Had we met with the dad we could have explored these other options:

✅ Power of Attorney documents
✅ Payable-on-Death designations
✅ Revocable living trusts

Tell us about your experience with joint accounts. Have they worked for you? Have you had a bad experience?

05/06/2025

Our attorneys, David McCurry and Adam Hoekenschnieder recently presented a class to local real estate professionals on how the probate process can affect real estate assets and transactions. Without proper estate planning, families can be stuck dealing with serious headaches when it's time to sell the family property.

Contact us to learn how we can help protect your home and investment properties with a personalized estate plan!

04/28/2025

Simple Ways to Avoid Probate Court

Are you worried about your loved ones having to deal with a potentially drawn-out court process of probate after you're gone?

Many people don't realize that probate can tie up assets for months or even years, while court fees and attorney costs chip away at your life savings.

Here are a few effective strategies to help your family avoid probate court:

1️⃣ Create a Revocable Living Trust - Transfer your assets into a trust during your lifetime, allowing them to pass directly to your beneficiaries without court involvement.

2️⃣ Use Beneficiary Designations - Make sure your retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and financial accounts have properly designated beneficiaries for direct transfer.

3️⃣ Consider Joint Ownership - For married couples, holding property as "joint tenants with right of survivorship" allows assets to transfer automatically to the surviving spouse.

The peace of mind that comes from knowing your family won't face probate is invaluable.

Questions about which strategy is right for your situation? Contact our office today for a personalized consultation.

Alabama attorneys handling estate planning, small business law, real estate matters, and litigation.

09/06/2024

Brodowski, McCurry, Miller & Hoekenschnieder is excited to welcome it's sister-company United Title - Alabama!

United Title, LLC is a full service title company that is dedicated to delievering seamless, stress-free real estate title and closing services.

Don't worry though! Brodowski, McCurry, Miller & Hoekenschnieder isn't going anywhere! The law firm will still continue to provide legal services in the areas of estate planning, probate, business law, and litigation.

Together, United Title - Alabama and Brodowski, McCurry, Miller & Hoekenschnieder are better!

United Title - Alabama
📍 Location: 415-A Church St NW Suite 200, Huntsville, AL 35801
📞 Contact Us: 256-808-0112
💻Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: www.unitedtitleal.com

Alabama attorneys handling estate planning, small business law, real estate matters, and litigation.