When you leave a will behind, your estate must go through probate. It can be an expensive, time-consuming court process, and your loved ones must wait until the end to gain ownership of their inheritance. In addition, your estate may be exposed to certain adverse...
Sometimes, estate planning is thought of as simply drafting a will that outlines the testator's final wishes. In truth, a will is just one of many estate planning documents. When drafting your estate plan, something you may want to consider is a power of attorney....
If you'd like to choose an agent to help you make medical decisions or to make them on your behalf when you can't do so, you can do this with a medical power of attorney. This can give someone who otherwise wouldn't be able to make these decisions the ability to act...
You may want to take steps to relate your medical wishes to your family and/or your medical team as part of your estate plan. There are a few ways to do this, such as creating a medical directive for the doctors to follow or using a medical power of attorney to...
People are often surprised when they find out that victims of abuse typically know their abuser. Usually, this is mentioned in terms of violence or sexual abuse. However, it is just as relevant to financial abuse. When someone is awarded power of attorney for someone...
Imagine that one day, due to an accident or illness, the court decides you are incapable of looking after your affairs. Even if you disagree and claim you are fine, they could award someone conservatorship over you. They could name a complete stranger. By naming a...
If your parent had Alzheimer’s, you understand first hand the complications this can bring. You may have had challenges dealing with their personal and financial affairs. You will also know that Alzheimer’s is hereditary. If a parent had it, the chances that you will...
A Sacramento resident must decide for himself what estate planning documents he wants to execute to ensure that his affairs will be managed to his expectations in the event of his incapacitation or death. As such, readers are asked to speak with their estate planning...
Sooner or later many families in California will have to face the reality that aging loved ones are no longer able to manage their own financial affairs. Research has shown that an individual's ability to make financial decisions peaks at about age 53. A person's...
When an individual becomes mentally or physically incapacitated, they often have difficulty performing basic tasks like paying bills or balancing their checkbook. Older individuals may become incapacitated due to Alzheimer's disease or some other form of dementia....
