Estate Planning

A home is one of the most valuable assets you can leave to a loved one – especially here in California. Still, before you codify that in your estate plan, you want to make sure that the intended beneficiary wants it – whether to live in, rent out or sell. One concern...

Scammers have come a long way from pretending to be a foreign prince. Their schemes have become more elaborate and more convincing, especially when they have advanced technological skills. How can you protect your parents from losing their life savings to these...

When creating your will, you do not want to leave any doubts about your testamentary capacity, which is your mental ability to create a legally binding and enforceable document. Otherwise, you risk a will or trust contest that could derail your estate plan. Here are...

When drafting an estate plan, you can nominate someone to make health care decisions on your behalf if you cannot. An Advance Health Care Directive ("Advance Directive") allows you to make such nominations and to leave guidance to your agent about personal health care...

Too many people don’t even consider including a living trust in their estate plan because they don’t think it’s right for them or that it’s too much trouble to establish and maintain – without even realizing exactly what it is. However, a revocable living trust is not...

People putting together estate plans often create trusts for their own protection. They worry about collection activity later in life when they live on a fixed income. They may want to avoid estate taxes or protect against the possibility of a lawsuit or divorce...

Some Californians procrastinate in drawing up an Advance Directive for Health Care and naming a health care agent even more than developing their will and other documents that won’t take effect until after their death. No one wants to think of the possibility that...

Everyone needs an estate plan. It ensures that your wishes are followed after you pass away.  However, creating an estate plan is not a one-time task; it requires periodic updates to stay current with your evolving life circumstances and changes in the law. Here, you...

People who are 65 or over, blind or disabled, and some others who require skilled nursing care can't always rely on their families to provide all of the care that they need. Their spouses may also need support, and their children could live hours away or have many...

An estate plan is supposed to help ensure your legacy carries on after you pass away. Essentially, it should minimize confusion and emotional strain for your loved ones during a difficult time.  But life is rarely static, and what fit your needs perfectly five years...