Many people who receive inheritances from deceased loved ones are honored to simply have been remembered by the persons whose estates provided them with the inheritance. In California, a person may be an estate beneficiary through a number of testamentary devices, all...
Focused And Personalized Attention Concerning Your Estate Planning Needs
Michael A. Sawamura, Attorney at Law
Health proxy takes care of you when you are unable to do so
No one wants to imagine the day when they can no longer make decisions for themselves. While many Californians envision that this moment will not take place until many years into the future, the truth is that it only takes an accident or other life-changing incident...
What is a living trust?
Trusts may be created in two main ways. The first is at the end of a person's life. When a person passes on their estate may pass automatically into a trust if they have executed the appropriate estate planning documents. However, a person can also create a trust...
The fiduciary duty of the estate administrator of a will
Being asked to serve as the administrator of a loved one's estate is both an honor and an obligation imposed upon a California resident. Although a well-crafted estate plan that takes into consideration methods of avoiding probate and removing ambiguity from the plans...
An estate plan should be made before it is too late
One of the requirements of a valid will in California is that the creator of the testamentary document is of sound mind when they sign their name to the will and make it official. A person who lacks the mental capacity to understand the terms of their will likely...
What is intestate succession in California?
An estate plan is intended to comprehensively dispose of a decedent's property, so that nothing is left over for the probate courts to claim and subject to the laws of distribution. In California and other jurisdictions, though, it is not uncommon for individuals to...
Are holographic wills valid in California?
Most Californians imagine wills to be formal legal documents full of jargon and clauses that are typed on fancy paper and signed by serious witnesses. However, not all wills fall into this category. In California and other states throughout the nation, holographic...
Proper estate plan can help avoid family disputes
Not long ago this Sacramento-based estate planning legal blog discussed the somewhat difficult topic of disinheritance. Through an estate plan a person may explicitly choose to exclude a relation who otherwise may have had a clear right to receive from the...
Undue influence and manipulation in the drafting of a will
A will should reflect the wishes of the California resident executing it, and should effectuate their desires in terms of the distribution of their assets upon their death. In fact, if a will is suspected to have been executed by someone who did not understand the...
Now is the time to reevaluate your estate plan
As 2017 draws to its end and 2018 shines on the horizon, Californians may be starting to consider what resolutions they would like to work toward in the New Year. While some may desire to improve their health or get ahead at work, others may make plans to simplify...