Focused And Personalized Attention Concerning Your Estate Planning Needs
While Californians are advised to take the necessary steps to have a coherent and well-organized estate plan, the basics are sometimes lost on them. The most foundational matter after moving forward with the document itself and having all the "I's" dotted and the...
For Californians, estate planning might be perceived as a dual-edged sword. On one hand, it is a strategy to make sure that loved ones are cared for and assets are allocated as the owner wants. On the other hand, it is acknowledging one's mortality and preparing for...
While many Sacramento residents might be aware of the need for trust planning, but do not know how to go about it in the necessary and smartest ways for avoiding probate, thinking about health care and organizing it appropriately. There are numerous issues that are...
When we discuss living trusts and other estate planning documents, we often focus on how they can help and how to set them up. But we often overlook details about what happens once the plan is in place. In the case of living trusts, what happens after a document is...
Preparing an estate plan that takes care of your loved ones extends beyond your property and your wealth. It also includes debt management. A recent study by Experian found an average consumer debt of almost $62,000 per individual. That’s a lot of money and, after...
Many people in California view an estate plan as little more than a directive about how to divide and distribute their assets after they die. While this sentiment is correct, it does not account for important matters such as minimizing estate and gift taxes or...
Most people in California don't have to be concerned about estate taxes when they prepare an estate plan. The federal estate tax only applies to estates that are worth more than $5,490,000. Married couples can effectively combine their estate tax exemptions, meaning...
Some readers may remember the probate fight involving former model Anna Nicole Smith and the estate of her deceased husband, Texas billionaire J. Howard Marshall. Smith married Marshall in 1994 when she was 26 and he was 89. When he died the following year, Smith was...
Probate in California can be expensive and time-consuming. But if an estate is of relatively modest size, a full estate administration proceeding may not be required. Under California's Probate Code, simplified proceedings are available for smaller estates.If the...
Creating a family trust that will endure for generations is an ambition of many people who have amassed significant wealth. Under California law, however, there is a limit on how long an interest created by a trust can last. That limit is called the "rule against...