The vast majority of people who find estate planning imperative are those who have children. These individuals often want to make sure that their assets are left to their kids and their spouse in a way that protects their financial future and maintains the estate's...
Focused And Personalized Attention Concerning Your Estate Planning Needs
Michael A. Sawamura, Attorney at Law
Unique situations that require adept estate planning
No two families are the same. Some families may appear "traditional," with two spouses remaining married for the long-term and raising children, while others are "untraditional." These latter families can involve step-parents and step-children, unmarried couples,...
No mental incapacitation found in mogul’s estate plan case
Estate plans can address significant wealth. When familial tensions run high, these plans can run into conflict, with multiple parties claiming that they should have their fair share of an estate's assets. Those who are not prepared to head off these disputes can have...
Estate planning: consider utilizing accounts in trust
We've spent quite a bit of time on this blog discussing various types of trusts. These estate planning vehicles can serve an important purpose. They can allow an individual to leave assets to others with certain restrictions applied. There are oftentimes tax...
Remarriage can affect estate planning and distribution
It's no secret that divorce is a common occurrence in California and throughout the country. So, too, is remarriage after divorce. While statistics show that less than one out of every five divorced individuals remarry, the rate is significantly higher for those 55...
Transfer on death accounts can help avoid probate
Most, if not all, Californians want to avoid the probate process. After all, having an estate subjected to probate can make the matter public, and it is usually lengthy and costly. For these reasons, many people who engage in estate planning do so, at least in part,...
What is a blind trust?
There are a variety of trusts that can be utilized to fulfill the needs of an estate planner. Previous posts here have discussed a number of options, including irrevocable trusts in general, charitable trusts and generation-skipping trusts. There is another option: a...
Considering trusts? Get the right information first
A recent post here discussed the generation-skipping trust and how it may be beneficial to those engaging in the estate planning process. This is just one of the many trust types available to those who create estate plans. Each trust type has its own benefit, and one...
What are the duties of the executor of a will?
Our readers who are familiar with the estate planning process know that there are many decisions that must be made. An individual must determine to whom assets will be left and what restrictions, if any, will be placed on the distribution of those assets. Even...
What is the generation-skipping trust?
As we have discussed previously on this blog, there are many estate planning vehicles that can be utilized to dictate how an individual's assets will be distributed upon his or her death. While wills are quite common, trusts can, in some instances, be much more...