Estate Planning Blog
Tips on How to Protect What Matters Most
Wills vs Trusts – Which Do You Need in Orange County?
Planning your estate with a wills and trusts attorney in Orange County is an important step in protecting your assets, your wishes, and the people that matter to you the most. There are a number of options available, as any estate planning lawyer can tell you. Do you...
Maintain Your ‘Voice’ During Disability
Estate planning covers more than death and taxes; for many people, it’s about maintaining their “voice” and clearly outlining their wishes in the event of incapacity or disability in Orange County. Far too many people assume that their loved ones know their wishes and...
Don’t Risk it: Protect Your Finances From Coronavirus Complications
Many Americans spend a lot of time and effort in managing their finances. While most are worried about how the coronavirus (COVID-19) will impact their income—whether that’s because they are temporarily furloughed, find themselves suddenly without a job, or watching...
Tips for Talking to Loved Ones About Estate Planning
Two of the most uncomfortable topics for almost any family to discuss are money and death. As a result, conversations about estate planning often don't happen until it's too late. As an Orange County estate planning attorney, I realize that there is never an easy time...
Beware of This Common Mistake When Refinancing Your Home
Here's a question we heard recently: "We're about to finalize a re-finance given the current rates and I'm wondering whether the mortgage go under the trust or just the house (which is already done)?" Great question and I'm glad you asked. This can be a confusing...
COVID Pandemic Preparation: 5 Estate Planning Essentials for Every Adult
With the number of COVID-19 cases in America increasing exponentially, people across the country are preparing themselves for every possible scenario. As a result, many estate planning attorneys are being inundated with calls and emails about how to plan for this type...
Should You Leave a Life Insurance Policy Outright to a Spouse?
Wondering if you should leave a life insurance policy outright to a spouse? Naming a legal beneficiary is necessary for life insurance, annuities, qualified retirement plans, individual retirement accounts, and some bank accounts. Ideally, these assets will be paid...
Don’t Forget to Plan for Incapacity!
As an Orange County estate planning lawyer, I often find that people associate the phrase “estate planning” with the task of making final plans and ensuring that loved ones are provided for after death. While we all want to make sure that our families are taken care...
Irvine Will and Trust Lawyer: 5 Essentials of Estate Planning
Estate planning isn't just for older people, couples with children, or individuals with a lot of financial wealth. Single people, young adults, and those with a modest income can also benefit from estate planning. As an Irvine will and trust lawyer, I believe there...
Orange County Estate Planning Attorney Answers, “Are You Liable for Your Deceased Spouse’s Debts?”
As a rule of thumb, no one else is obligated to pay the debt of a person who has died. So, in general, you will not be responsible to pay off your deceased spouse's debts. However, there are some exceptions that vary from state to state: If you co-sign on a loan, then...
What to Know Before Transferring Ownership of Your Home in California
Most older adults believe that it’s easier for everyone involved – loved ones, beneficiaries, and executors – if they transfer full or partial ownership of their home prior to their passing. However, California elder law attorneys will caution you that there are...
Important Updates About COVID-19 for Our Clients and Community
We cannot stress enough that our community is our top priority. We remain open (just remotely) and we are here for you, your family, and friends as we all navigate through this pandemic crisis. This is a rapidly evolving situation. Just in the past day there has been...
How a Pour Over Will Works with a Living Trust
While most people have heard of a basic Last Will and Testament, they may not know what a Pour Over Will is and how it works with a Living Trust. As an Orange County will lawyer, I’d like to explain this estate planning tool. Essentially, a Pour-Over Will is used in...
6 Mistakes to Avoid When Creating a Special Needs Trust
A Special Needs Trust (also called a Supplemental Needs Trust) is a legal document that holds assets for a person with disabilities, while also providing legal authority for a trustee to manage money and make financial decisions on behalf of the individual with...
What Happens If a Beneficiary Dies Before I Do?
When creating an estate plan with the help of an estate planning lawyer in Orange County, you’ll be asked to choose the beneficiaries whom you want to inherit your money and property when you pass away. In most cases, our clients tell us that ultimately they want...
What the New SECURE Act Means for Your Retirement Accounts
On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed into law the SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement), which was included in a last-minute appropriations bill designed to avert a government shutdown before the end of the year. The new law will...
What to Know When Serving as a Trustee or Executor After Your Spouse Dies
Dealing with the loss of a spouse is one of the most difficult situations a person can face. The grief alone can be crippling and adding to the stress is the need to deal with funeral arrangements and any other tasks that may have arisen during your spouse’s final...
What to Do When a Trustee is Untrustworthy
A trustee is legally required to administer a trust solely in the interests of the beneficiaries. So, what can you do as the beneficiary if you feel the trustee has breached his or her fiduciary duty? As an Irvine estate attorney, I would like to share some remedies...
Orange County Estate Planning Attorney Warns, “Beware of DIY and Online Estate Planning Options!”
Considering online estate planning? With today's technology, access to information is literally in the palm of our hands. From your cell phone, you can download manuals to repair a washing machine that's thirty years old or watch step-by-step video tutorials that will...
Orange County Elder Law Attorney on When to Consider Home Health Care for an Elderly Loved One
If you're in a position where it's time to make some decisions about caring for an aging parent or other relative, you may be feeling pretty overwhelmed with all of the available options and whether to consider home health care. Ideally, your elderly parent had the...
The First Steps Towards Enjoying Your Golden Years
When most of us think about retirement, we have visions of days spent relaxing, doing some traveling, getting around to those hobbies we never had time for when we were busy working and raising a family. Unfortunately, estate planning attorneys know that what are...
Does an Elder Law Attorney Represent the Senior or the Adult Children?
As an Orange County elder law attorney, I often meet senior clients as a result of them coming into our offices with their adult children. When this situation happens, it is the lawyer’s job to recognize the differing needs and rights of both parties. The lawyer must...
Finding the Right Elder Law Attorney to Plan for Long-Term Care Needs
The Baby Boomer generation is growing older and beginning to incur the financial costs and strains of aging. Many are caring for their own elderly parents while beginning to recognize long-term care challenges of their own. Boomers are also starting to learn...
5 Legal and Financial Moves to Make Before the Year-End
As 2019 draws to a close, it may be time to take a fresh look at your financial and legal documents to ensure that your affairs are in order and that you are ending the year on a solid foundation before the estate planning year-end. This is especially important if...
How to Find Assets of an Estate in Orange County After Someone Dies
When someone passes away, family members often find themselves asking an Orange County estate planning attorney what they should do and how to go about finding the assets of an estate in California. If the individual had a trust, then there will likely be a schedule...
Orange County Estate Planning Lawyer: What Happens If an Unmarried Partner Becomes Disabled or Incapacitated but Doesn’t Die?
Planning for the death of an unmarried partner is critical, but so is planning for the possibility that one partner becomes sick, disabled, or incapacitated at some point during their lifetime. Under the laws of most states, an unmarried partner has zero rights to...
Orange County Estate Attorney: Here’s What REALLY Happens If You Don’t Have an Estate Plan in Place
What really happens if you don’t create a will, trust, or other estate planning documents and essentially keep your head in the sand? Any Orange County estate attorney will tell you the honest truth is that you make things much harder, more costly, and more...
Parents of Kids with Disabilities Discover the Importance of Special Needs Planning in Orange County
Estate planning is incredibly important for all parents, as it allows them the opportunity to make very difficult choices. It provides the chance to determine who will raise your minor children if you can’t, what money will be set aside or used for their upbringing,...
Irvine Will and Trust Lawyer: Avoid These 3 Common Trust Mistakes!
If you’ve set up a Revocable Living Trust, congratulations! As an Irvine will and trust lawyer, I assure you that you’ve taken a very important step in protecting your assets and your family in the event you become incapacitated or pass away. However, just because...
Irvine Estate Planning Attorney: Watch for These Signs That Your Parents’ Finances Are Out of Control
As an Irvine estate planning attorney, I often talk to my clients about the importance of having open and honest conversations with loved ones, especially when it comes to difficult or uncomfortable subjects. It's not easy to bring up topics like managing finances,...
Recent Posts
Wills vs Trusts – Which Do You Need in Orange County?May 19, 2020
Maintain Your ‘Voice’ During DisabilityMay 12, 2020
Don’t Risk it: Protect Your Finances From Coronavirus ComplicationsMay 9, 2020
Tips for Talking to Loved Ones About Estate PlanningApril 27, 2020
Beware of This Common Mistake When Refinancing Your HomeApril 23, 2020