Estate Planning Blog
Tips on How to Protect What Matters Most
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...
Finding Assets of an Estate in Orange County
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...
Irvine 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,...
Orange County Probate Lawyers Answer, “How Long Does It Take to Settle a Probate Estate in California?”
Whenever the time comes for an estate to be settled, many beneficiaries find themselves wondering how long the process is going to take. Orange County probate attorneys often tell clients that settling an estate through probate can take anywhere from eighteen months...
Orange County Will and Trust Lawyer: 5 Things to Consider When Choosing a Guardian for Your Child
No parent likes to think about the possibility of dying while their children are still young. Regardless of how uncomfortable the issue may be, it's important to name someone to care for your minor children if you pass away. As an Orange County will and trust lawyer,...
Irvine Elder Law Attorneys: 5 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Dementia Care Facility
The best time to start making plans for the care of a loved one with dementia is when they first start showing signs of decline. Eventually, they may reach the point where remaining in their home is no longer an option, and it may be necessary for them to be moved to...
Orange County Elder Lawyer on The Importance of Creating Designation Documents When a Parent Has Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, or Other Dementia
During the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, or other age-related dementia, your mom or dad will likely need help managing his or her financial and personal affairs. If your parent already has a Power of Attorney or Advance Healthcare Directive...
Your Fall “Legal Affairs” Checklist from an Orange County Estate Planning Attorney
With the fall season approaching, it’s an excellent time to review your affairs. Below is a fall legal affairs estate planning checklist to ensure your planning meets your needs and is up-to-date: 1) When was your power of attorney last updated? A power of attorney is...
Irvine Estate Planning Lawyer on the Importance of Creating a Trust Now
As an Irvine estate planning lawyer, it’s easy to see why so many people put off creating their trusts. After all, no one really wants to think about their own death, let alone prepare for it. In reality, though, preparing by creating a trust is exactly what we should...
Strategies to Help Your Family Avoid Orange County Probate Court After You Pass Away
Strategies to Help Your Family Avoid Orange County Probate Court After You Pass Away Even those who don’t fully understand the probate process are pretty clear about the fact that they want to avoid it. As an Orange County probate lawyer, I see so many cases where...
Digital Afterlife: An Estate Plan For Your Facebook Account
Did you ever wonder what happens to your digital footprint when you pass away? Well you should, particularly if you are part of the 77 percent of Americans who go online every day. As the internet has become more of an integral part of our lives, our information --...
Creating an Estate Plan in Orange County? Confirm That Your Executor Is Up for the Job
Estate planning can be difficult for anyone, but in some ways, the executor of the estate ends up with the hardest job. It is important to talk with your Orange County estate planning lawyer to determine if your chosen executor is right for the task. He or she can...
A Post-Honeymoon Legal Checklist for Orange County Newlyweds
Your wedding is over, and the day was absolutely perfect. You went away on your honeymoon with your new spouse and had the time of your lives. Now you are back and can breathe a sigh of relief and watch the rest of the years ahead unfold before your eyes. Well, not so...
Why Do I Need a Pour-Over Will If I Have a Living Trust?
Most people are familiar with a basic Last Will and Testament but very few people know what a Pour-Over Will is. Essentially, a Pour-Over Will is used in conjunction with a Trust and it directs that any assets you own in your own name outside of the trust at the time...
Can I Name More Than One Person As My Power of Attorney?
Granting someone power of attorney means that you are giving them the authority to make important decisions on your behalf should you be incapable of making them yourself. The scope, duration, and other specifics are up to you. While the laws vary in each state, it's...
Orange County Elder Law Attorney: When It’s Time to Take the Keys
One of the hardest parts of the aging process can be giving up one’s mobility. At a certain point, it’s just not safe to operate an automobile. Sometimes, it’s hard for seniors to admit this to themselves, and that can leave it up to their adult children to step in...
Declare Your Independence from Court Interference!
While the rest of the nation celebrates its independence on July 4th, you can rest assured that you too can declare independence for your family -- from court interference. Life can be unpredictable. Whether it is a financial issue, the birth or adoption of a child,...
Do You Own Rental Property? How Proactive, Comprehensive Estate Planning Can Help You Protect It
A comprehensive estate plan should address all of your assets. For most people, an estate plan must include three common categories: (1) your home; (2) financial accounts, like your checking and savings account; and (3) personal property. Other types of assets - such...
How to Use a 529 Plan to Save for Education Expenses While Benefiting Your Estate
If you’ve heard of a 529 Plan, you probably think of it as a means of education funding for your children or your grandchildren. These plans are sponsored by state agencies or educational institutions, and they’re available to people of all income brackets....
How to “Marie Kondo” Your Financial Life and Streamline Your Estate Planning Process
Listen to the Audio Version If you’re not familiar with Marie Kondo, take some time this week to watch one of her videos on YouTube or check out her new Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. It’s incredible to watch the relief and joy that people experience...
Approaching the Conversation of Money Management With an Elderly Parent
Click to Listen to the Audio Version Estate Planning attorneys very often find themselves advising adult children of the elderly on the intricacies of managing their parents’ finances. While it may seem straightforward at first, there are a lot of details and...
Legal Documents Every Graduating Senior Needs to Ensure Parents Can Intervene Medically on Their Behalf
Click Here To Listen to the Audio Version It’s the end of the school year and graduations are in full swing. As your “baby” steps into adulthood, you might not realize that you will soon lose the ability to help your child or make healthcare decisions (even though...
Before You Hire Before a California Elder Law Attorney…Ask These 10 Questions First!
You could never fit the dreams, goals, and desires of your family into a one-size-fits-all box. Nor can you fully anticipate the unique challenges, changes, and loss you and your loved ones may face ahead. As impossible as it is to predict your future and generalize...
Estate Planning in California is About More Than Planning for Death
Whether you live in Orange County or somewhere else in California, many of us believe that estate planning is simply instructions on how to distribute your assets when you pass away. From that perspective, estate planning is often viewed as something one does only...
Estate Planning for Military Families and Veterans in California
Although Memorial Day just passed, it is important to honor those that have served our country. This time is also a good opportunity for members of the military and their loved ones to consider setting up an - or revising an existing - estate plan. Military families...
Buying Out Your Sibling’s Share of an Inherited Home Can Have Expensive Property Tax Consequences in California
When a California home or other real property is transferred to another person, its Proposition 13 tax base will be reassessed. There are only limited exceptions to re-assessments in California when a home is transferred among certain family members: namely between...
Recent Posts
5 Legal and Financial Moves to Make Before the Year-EndDecember 8, 2019
Finding Assets of an Estate in Orange CountyDecember 4, 2019
Irvine Estate Planning Lawyer: What Happens If an Unmarried Partner Becomes Disabled or Incapacitated but Doesn’t Die?November 27, 2019
Orange County Estate Attorney: Here’s What REALLY Happens If You Don’t Have an Estate Plan in PlaceNovember 20, 2019
Parents of Kids with Disabilities Discover the Importance of Special Needs Planning in Orange CountyNovember 12, 2019