Readers of the blog here in California may have noticed some entries regarding the growing concern about what happens to a person's online digital content after they die. Most people in the digital age have at least some measure of information online, which may...
Focused And Personalized Attention Concerning Your Estate Planning Needs
Michael A. Sawamura, Attorney at Law
Estate planning can help combat tax-related worries
People in California choose to live in the Golden State for many personal and practical reasons. While the quality of life for many here is indeed quite high, Californians pay dearly for these benefits when it comes to taxes. Across the 50 states in the U.S.,...
Making estate planning a family affair
Many people in California have concerns about wills, estates and trusts but often feel they are too busy to do anything about it. After all, most people don't reach a level of financial success and responsibility by spending too much idle time. It is also common for...
Deceased woman’s donated clothes contain hidden treasure
People in California may have heard an interesting and amusing story about a woman who discovered a treasure trove of $100 bills in the pockets of the clothing of an 85-year-old woman who had recently died. The woman found some $30,000 in currency in the clothing,...
State laws can have serious implications for trust taxation
People in California and readers of the blog know that there are a number of tools available to estate planners looking to maximize their assets for the good of their heirs or favorite charities. However, what many people do not realize is that state laws can have...
Overseas inheritance case brings together long lost relatives
Californians may have heard of an interesting story of reunion, and some unexpected inheritance, that brought together two families that never knew of their common ancestry. All of it was caught on camera as part of an Irish television show called "Dead Money" that...
Compensating a trustee for trust administration services
Readers of the blog here in California know that setting up a trust can be an excellent way to preserve and utilize money for a specific purpose, or a specific person. Many estate plans include at least one trust, and they are favored because of the peace of mind and...
Domestic partnership benefits mulled over in legislature
People in same-sex relationships in California have had a tumultuous ride over the last year. Between Proposition 8 and the uncertainty over the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, it might be difficult for same-sex couples and people in domestic partnerships to even...
Sixteenth Amendment reaches 100th birthday
Readers of this blog may have seen the recent piece about Phil Mickelson's frustration with the California state income tax. He's certainly not the only one complaining, as income taxes have steadily increased over the last several years and certainly seem likely to...
Writing family members out of a will requires tact
A recent news story focused on a California woman who was preparing her will and deciding how to split her earthly possessions amongst her four children. Ultimately, she decided that she would exclude one of her children from receiving any inheritance. Of course,...