It has been a year since the death of comedian Robin Williams, who committed suicide in his Northern California home on August 11, 2014. Sadly, his widow and his children from previous marriages remain entangled in a bitter dispute over his estate. According to an...
Focused And Personalized Attention Concerning Your Estate Planning Needs
Michael A. Sawamura, Attorney at Law
California remarriage? Time for a new estate plan
Californians with children from a previous marriage should seriously consider updating their estate plan when they remarry. California parents in blended families often want to leave most of their estate to their children, but also provide for their current spouse....
Why create a trust while living in Sacramento?
Sacramento is the perfect city to settle down, start a family, open a business or retire. In the midst of all these crazy life decisions, it would be unwise to forget about estate planning tools at your disposal, such as wills or trusts. Once settled in a city like...
California court finds trustee used undue influence over trustor
When a California woman died last year at age 91, her caretaker was left in control of her assets. The caretaker, now 63, met the woman in 2002 when she was recovering from surgery in an Orange County care center. When she left the facility and went home in 2003, the...
Advantages of a California living trust
The living trust has become a popular estate planning vehicle for many California residents. A trust is a legal arrangement in which property is transferred to a trustee, who manages the property for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries in the trust...
What constitutes a valid will?
Throughout their lives, many Americans may acquire assets and wealth such as a house, recreational toys, and investments. Unfortunately, no one can live forever, and tomorrows are never guaranteed. With that in mind, it is important to draft a will to insure that all...
A basic estate plan does not have to be complicated
Many people have put estate planning into the category of things they will get around to someday in the future. They may be under the impression that estate planning is a complicated process that takes a lot of work. However, for most California residents, preparing...
Rock star who died without estate plan leaves family destitute
Most people in California probably assume that rock stars' financial lives are handled by legions of lawyers and accountants who make sure their clients' wealth is safely invested and their posterity provided for. This is not always the case, however. As a recent news...
Same-sex couples may want to update their estate planning
Now that same-sex marriage is here to stay in California, LGBT couples who have tied the knot can enjoy the same legal advantages available to all married couples when it comes to estate planning. Many same-sex married couples have no estate plan in place at all;...
What are the advantages of a special needs trust in California?
The basic concept of a trust is very versatile and can be adapted to accomplish a number of goals. One of the most useful forms of trust for California residents is the special needs trust, which is designed to provide for the supplemental needs of a disabled person...