Estate Planning

For many people in California, passing on treasured family heirlooms and sentimental property is an important part of estate planning. But, according to a recent news story, many members of the so-called "millennial" generation are not particularly interested in...

Avoiding probate has long been an important goal for those preparing an estate plan in California. Probate refers to the process of administering a deceased person's estate through the state court system. In California, the process can take months or even years. It...

For more than two decades Medi-Cal, California's state Medicaid program, has had the right to assert claims against the estates of people who received Medi-Cal benefits when aged 55 or older. Avoiding a Medi-Cal recovery has been a major estate planning priority for...

When California residents die without a will or trust, their estate is distributed according to California's intestacy laws, without regard to whatever wishes the decedent may have had. If the decedent left a substantial estate, there is also a significant risk of...

It might not be the easiest thing for people in California to think about, but estate planning is important for the future of their loved ones. It can help the individual with their own piece of mind for the inevitable. Death is a part of life. For many, illness can...

An estate plan is not something that should be prepared once and then locked away, not to be seen again until a person passes away. As we discussed in a recent post, everyone with an existing estate plan should review it every few years to make sure it still addresses...

As the 2016 presidential election enters its final weeks, those voters who have not already made up their minds will be studying the candidates' positions on various issues. Some voters in the Sacramento area may wonder if the federal estate tax should be an issue of...

Unfortunately, estate planning is not always taken as seriously as it should be or may not be considered at all. Failing to conduct any estate planning is the worst mistake that can be made and studies show that many Americans who have reached the age where they...

The IRS has proposed new regulations that, if enacted, could drastically affect estate planning for small business owners and farmers in California's Central Valley. Under the new regulations, the long-established practice of discounting shares of a family-owned...

In this California estate planning blog, we've written many posts about the importance of having an estate plan and of not postponing the estate planning process. But the process isn't necessarily over when the will or trust has been drafted, signed and witnessed....