Many Americans welcome the new year with thoughts and expectations of good health, wealth and success. It is also important during these times to not just consider the immediate future, but long-term goals as well. When do you want to retire? Will you be ready to...
Focused And Personalized Attention Concerning Your Estate Planning Needs
Year: 2016
Repeal of federal estate tax would not affect most Californians
Although our current president-elect campaigned on promises to fight for blue-collar workers, one of his major policy proposals will likely benefit only a few very wealthy individuals. The repeal of the combined federal gift and estate tax is a cornerstone of the...
A durable POA allows a trusted person to handle one’s affairs
When an individual becomes mentally or physically incapacitated, they often have difficulty performing basic tasks like paying bills or balancing their checkbook. Older individuals may become incapacitated due to Alzheimer's disease or some other form of dementia....
Estate planning and personal items: do the kids even want them?
For many people in California, passing on treasured family heirlooms and sentimental property is an important part of estate planning. But, according to a recent news story, many members of the so-called "millennial" generation are not particularly interested in...
New Medi-Cal recovery law is another reason for avoiding probate
Avoiding probate has long been an important goal for those preparing an estate plan in California. Probate refers to the process of administering a deceased person's estate through the state court system. In California, the process can take months or even years. It...
How will the new Medi-Cal recovery law affect estate planning?
For more than two decades Medi-Cal, California's state Medicaid program, has had the right to assert claims against the estates of people who received Medi-Cal benefits when aged 55 or older. Avoiding a Medi-Cal recovery has been a major estate planning priority for...
Preparing a California Advance Health Care Directive
When most people think of estate planning they think of preparing a will or trust to direct the distribution of their property upon death. But the estate planning process is also an ideal time to prepare a California Advance Health Care Directive.The California...
Judge rules two women are not Prince’s heirs
When California residents die without a will or trust, their estate is distributed according to California's intestacy laws, without regard to whatever wishes the decedent may have had. If the decedent left a substantial estate, there is also a significant risk of...
The importance of estate planning in California
It might not be the easiest thing for people in California to think about, but estate planning is important for the future of their loved ones. It can help the individual with their own piece of mind for the inevitable. Death is a part of life. For many, illness can...
What are the duties of a trustee when the trustor dies?
Under California law, a trustee has significant responsibilities. Some of the most important of these arise upon the death of the person creating the trust - called the trustor or settlor.In many cases the trustor acted as a trustee during his or her lifetime, with a...