California residents may have seen the news that a multi-millionaire went missing last week under mysterious circumstances. Now the fallout over the man's disappearance seems to be coming to a head, as his wife and mother wrestle over control of the man's numerous...
Focused And Personalized Attention Concerning Your Estate Planning Needs
Michael A. Sawamura, Attorney at Law
Thomas Kinkade estate controversy proceeds in probate court
The controversy surrounding the estate of painter Thomas Kinkade, including his palatial mansion in Monte Sereno, California, will continue as the court begins probate proceedings early next month. Among the issues at the heart of the controversy are the validity of...
Potential 2013 tax increases would affect many in California
Sacramento residents may want to prepare themselves for a tax hike next year. According to Republicans, in 2013 we will see the largest tax increase in U.S. history. From a pure dollars and cents perspective this is true, but when measured as a percentage of gross...
Include digital assets in estate plans to avoid confusion
California residents are living more and more of their lives online. Many areas of law have evolved in response to the popularity of online activities. But laws governing what happens to a person's online assets--which can include blogs, email accounts and social...
Estate planners advise taking advantage of gift-tax exemption
Without federal legislative intervention before the New Year, the current generous gift tax exemption of $5.12 million could revert to $1 million. People in Sacramento seeking to pass along their financial assets might want to calculate the effect a vastly reduced...
ABA: Cheaper estate planning may lack proper requirements
During an economic downturn, people look for ways to save money. Sometimes the less expensive option turns out to cost more in the end. One technique of conserving cash that may lead to costly mistakes is pursuing the do-it-yourself approach instead of hiring...
Facebook insiders use trusts to plan ahead for estate taxes
Californians recently witnessed one of the largest initial public offerings of stock in Silicon Valley history when California-based Facebook, Inc. went public. For some, like Facebook's co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and other insiders, the IPO will only add to their...
California pet owners can include pets in estate plans
Many California pet lovers may be concerned about what will happen to their beloved pet after they pass away. A good estate plan should ensure that four-legged friends and other companions are cared for. Fortunately, over the years the law has increasingly come to...
Highly detailed estate planning protects an artist’s legacy
As previously noted on this blog, Michael Jackson's estate is one example of excellent estate administration that continues to manage the estate's assets and preserve the musician's legacy after his death. The Kinkade Family Trust has already proven essential in...
People in California should be aware of effect of estate taxes
A well-worn maxim tells us that death and taxes are the only two things of which we can be certain. Under particular circumstances, we can also be certain that the occurrence of the former will trigger the latter. Everyone should be aware of the estate tax, but...