Estate Planning Blog
Tips on How to Protect What Matters Most
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,...
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 --...
Recent Posts
Irvine Will and Trust Lawyer: 5 Essentials of Estate PlanningApril 6, 2020
Orange County Estate Planning Attorney Answers, “Are You Liable for Your Deceased Spouse’s Debts?”March 26, 2020
What to Know Before Transferring Ownership of Your Home in CaliforniaMarch 19, 2020
Important Updates About COVID-19 for Our Clients and CommunityMarch 18, 2020
How a Pour Over Will Works with a Living TrustMarch 11, 2020