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...
Month: October 2016
Divorce or remarriage should trigger an estate plan review
An estate plan is not something that should be prepared once and then locked away, not to be seen again until a person passes away. As we discussed in a recent post, everyone with an existing estate plan should review it every few years to make sure it still addresses...
Using a living trust to avoid probate in California
Probate in California is unfortunately an expensive and time-consuming process. Probate refers to the court proceedings to administer the estate of a deceased person and distribute their assets to heirs and beneficiaries. Court costs and legal fees can be prohibitive....
Candidates’ estate tax plans will not affect most Californians
As the 2016 presidential election enters its final weeks, those voters who have not already made up their minds will be studying the candidates' positions on various issues. Some voters in the Sacramento area may wonder if the federal estate tax should be an issue of...