Focused And Personalized Attention Concerning Your Estate Planning Needs
Under California law, a trustee has significant responsibilities. Some of the most important of these arise upon the death of the person creating the trust - called the trustor or settlor.In many cases the trustor acted as a trustee during his or her lifetime, with a...
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...
Probate in California is unfortunately an expensive and time-consuming process. Probate refers to the court proceedings to administer the estate of a deceased person and distribute their assets to heirs and beneficiaries. Court costs and legal fees can be prohibitive....
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...
Trusts are a popular estate planning vehicle in California. But trusts can be used for many purposes besides managing financial assets for the benefit of loved ones. In fact, California's Probate Code specifically says a trust can be established for any purpose that...
In California most wills go through probate proceedings without a significant dispute. Similarly, most trusts are administered without any controversy. But occasionally a conflict arises among family members, between family members and an executor or between family...
In this blog we have on several occasions discussed the advantages of a revocable trust for estate planning purposes in California. A revocable trust is what the name implies: it can be modified or terminated at any time during the settlor's lifetime. But what about...
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....