Focused And Personalized Attention Concerning Your Estate Planning Needs
Many California music fans remember singer James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," who died nine years ago. Unfortunately, litigation over his estate remains ongoing. Recently, four of Brown's six children reached a settlement agreement, which has been submitted to a...
No matter the age of a couple, it is not uncommon to draft a will and establish an estate plan at some point during a marriage. Major decisions are made in these legal documents, and they can be very beneficial at delivering the wishes of the spouses at incapacitation...
An important aspect of estate planning is drafting a will. However, including a will does not always indicate that the legal document will serve the role it was intended to. This is especially true if a will is missing after the death of a loved one in California or...
Avoiding unnecessary taxation has long been one of the primary goals of drafting an estate plan for California residents. As we noted in a recent post, the federal gift and estate tax exemption will increase to $5.45 million on January 1, continuing an upward trend...
The primary reason to prepare an estate plan is to ensure that your assets are passed on to those you want to receive them. If you die without a will or trust in California, your estate will be distributed according to the state's intestacy laws. Our law firm...
Many individuals in Northern California have been meaning to get around to estate planning for some time. Some people may make it their New Year's resolution to prepare an estate plan in 2016. Preparing an estate plan is extremely important for those who wish to avoid...
Unfortunately, when a resident of Northern California dies, it is sometimes unclear whether they left a will, or which of several purported wills is valid. The result can be a court battle similar to one now taking place in New York over the estate of a man who died...
The term "estate planning" refers generally to the process of making preparations for the management of one's assets in the event of incapacity, and the distribution of assets to heirs and beneficiaries upon death. There are several important goals that should be...
In California, many people opt to use a revocable trust instead of a will as their primary estate planning vehicle. One of the main advantages of a revocable trust is that it can enable the trustor's estate to avoid probate.When a trustor creates a trust, they must...
When novelist Gore Vidal died in 2012, he left an estate worth an estimated $30 million - not including future royalties from his published works. But within months of his death, distant relatives began fighting over the property he left behind, including a $4 million...