Estate planning in California will have multiple issues that must be accounted for, but one that is a frequent cause for concern is guardianship. There are two kinds of probate guardianship in California and these must be understood by those who are concerned about a...
Focused And Personalized Attention Concerning Your Estate Planning Needs
Michael A. Sawamura, Attorney at Law
Drafting estate planning documents when married a second time
In California, it is not uncommon for people to marry more than once. Certain matters must be handled when in this situation, and one that many people forget is how to deal with drafting estate planning documents to account for the new marriage. This is especially...
Late actor’s assets in dispute despite cogent estate planning
For those that have significant wealth and blended families, drafting estate planning documents is especially important if the person wants to avoid probate and disagreements among their family members after death. These circumstances apply to many people in...
Remember to draft a will to protect loved ones in California
While most Californians have a vague understanding of the importance of a will, it is still one of the issues about which people procrastinate the most. It is not easy to envision one's own death, but when there are loved ones whose future is likely to be at stake if...
Important considerations with estate planning
Estate planning in California should be thought of as a method of organizing one's life for the future when he or she is no longer there. It is a positive step for the heirs whether there is a substantial estate or one of more modest means and making sure that it is...
A basic need for any estate plan is preserving the documents
While Californians are advised to take the necessary steps to have a coherent and well-organized estate plan, the basics are sometimes lost on them. The most foundational matter after moving forward with the document itself and having all the "I's" dotted and the...
Pluses and minuses of a living trust (inter vivos trust)
For Californians, estate planning might be perceived as a dual-edged sword. On one hand, it is a strategy to make sure that loved ones are cared for and assets are allocated as the owner wants. On the other hand, it is acknowledging one's mortality and preparing for...
A lawyer can help with trust administration in Sacramento
While many Sacramento residents might be aware of the need for trust planning, but do not know how to go about it in the necessary and smartest ways for avoiding probate, thinking about health care and organizing it appropriately. There are numerous issues that are...
How are assets put into a living trust?
When we discuss living trusts and other estate planning documents, we often focus on how they can help and how to set them up. But we often overlook details about what happens once the plan is in place. In the case of living trusts, what happens after a document is...
Debt management and your estate plan
Preparing an estate plan that takes care of your loved ones extends beyond your property and your wealth. It also includes debt management. A recent study by Experian found an average consumer debt of almost $62,000 per individual. That’s a lot of money and, after...