As the baby boom generation ages, many people in California are dealing with the issue of elderly relatives who can no longer make decisions on their own behalf. When a loved one becomes incapacitated due to dementia, illness or injury, it is sometimes necessary for...
Focused And Personalized Attention Concerning Your Estate Planning Needs
Michael A. Sawamura, Attorney at Law
Transferring assets is key to a California trust
The revocable trust is a popular estate planning vehicle in California. With a revocable trust an individual can avoid probate, protect the person's privacy, and provide for management of assets both during the person's lifetime and after death. To establish a trust,...
New California law eases the bite of Medi-Cal recovery
Many people in California depend on Medi-Cal for their health care coverage. When a Medi-Cal recipient dies, the state has the legal right to recover from the recipient's estate the medical expenses made on their behalf. The state cannot seek reimbursement, however,...
Can a trust shield an inheritance from creditors in California?
In California, the revocable trust is a popular estate planning vehicle, in part because it provides for management of trust assets by a trustee during the settlor's life and after their death. A trust will typically provide that income generated by the trust assets...
What are the different types of estate planning trusts?
This California estate planning blog has discussed trusts in the past. Generally, a trust is a legal device that protects a property right for a person while that property is held by another individual. Though trusts can serve a wide range of intents and purposes,...
Don’t postpone estate planning until it’s too late
Many people in California know they should prepare an estate plan, but they put it off. There are a lot of reasons people postpone estate planning. Some think it will be a lot of work, some believe they are too busy and some avoid it because they don't like to think...
Ernie Banks’ widow disputes new will signed months before death
Baseball fans of a certain age will remember Ernie Banks, the former Chicago Cub shortstop and first baseman whom many consider one of the best players of all time. Banks was the first African-American to play for the Cubs and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in...
What are the duties of an executor in California?
Virtually all wills include a provision naming the person who will serve as executor of the estate. The executor is the person chosen by the testator to administer the estate, pay estate debts and taxes and distribute the assets according to the instructions in the...
Powers of attorney insure against the unexpected
Any person, not only seniors, may face circumstances where she cannot handle daily and legal tasks because of an unexpected accident or health condition. A power of attorney may be insurance that a trusted person can step in and handle such personal matters.The person...
How does the California Probate Code address simultaneous deaths?
We've probably all heard of tragic situations in which a husband and wife are both killed in an auto accident or a plane crash. This can create estate administration issues if it cannot be established which of them died first. Fortunately, the California Probate Code...