Estate Planning Blog
Tips on How to Protect What Matters Most
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...
What’s Your Emergency Plan? Why It’s Critical to Have One
One of the common things to do when it comes to estate planning is to only focus on what happens when you die and ignore planning for the possibility of a medical emergency where you may not die but are temporarily or permanently incapacitated. Think accident,...
New Baby? Time to Create Your Estate Plan
Estate planning is often one item that gets pushed back on nearly everyone’s to-do list. That's especially the case when you are so focused on loving and caring for your new bundle of joy. The other reasons you might be delaying vary: lack of time, not thinking you...
Sweat the Small Stuff in Your Estate Plan
When planning their estates, most people focus on major assets, such as business interests, real estate, investments and retirement plans. But it’s also important to “sweat the small stuff” — tangible personal property. Examples include automobiles, jewelry, clothing,...
Three Legal Things to Do After a Scary Health Diagnosis
A scary health diagnosis can be emotionally and logistically challenging for many reasons. For instance, how can you take care of your family if you’re physically incapacitated? In addition to working closely with your medical providers, consider these three...
Why Writing a Note Can Be the Best Gift Money Can’t Buy
The experience of writing a card or a letter is a powerful one for me. We’ve all received a note, card, or a letter in the mail that made us smile. Why is that? Of course, it is nice to know that someone is stopping their daily life to say “I’m thinking about you.” To...
How to Get Your Estate Planning Done in Just 10 Minutes
Research tells us that the majority of Americans today still do not have estate planning in place and only a third of parents have properly named legal guardians for their minor children. That's problematic because life happens to all of us and gives none of us a...
Don’t let your loved ones “step in it” by making these 5 estate planning mistakes
Sadly, most Americans are indifferent to estate planning - at best - or completely ignore the issue - at worst. When it comes to estate planning, however, there are just some mistakes that you and your loved ones cannot afford. Some mistakes involve ignoring common...
Learn More About the New Year’s Resolutions That Can Protect You and Your Loved Ones
The New Year is here! Do you ever find, as we do, that the years tend to fly by the older we get? We know just how busy this year is already because it is for us, too. Between work and the holidays and getting the kids back in school, it feels like there is very...
3 Liability Planning Tips for Physicians, Professionals, and Business Owners
You probably know that the practice of medicine is a profession fraught with the risk of liability. It’s not just medical malpractice claims either (although those are certainly scary enough). It’s the entire scope of risk from being in business, including...
3 Tips for Protecting Your Important Legal Paperwork in a Natural Disaster
The year 2018 has been no stranger to natural disasters. From multiple earthquakes, back-to-back hurricanes, and raging wildfires, the United States and abroad has suffered some serious natural disasters. These acts of nature can devastate your life and your family....
How Should Families Plan for Rising Long-Term Care Costs in the New Year?
Planning in the new year is second nature to most of us. Whether you are creating resolutions, setting goals, or simply want to spend more time with your loved ones, you may find yourself and your senior loved ones planning for the future right now. We know right now...
3 Estate Planning Secrets the Wealthy Use That You Can Too!
Estate planning is complex and continually evolving. Often, affluent families are “early adopters” of the newest and best estate planning strategies. Luckily, by working with us, you can benefit from the same estate planning strategies that affluent families do. Here...
Big “Life Changes” Often Mean Big “Estate Plan Changes”
Many people who put together an estate plan do so when they start a family - assuming they put an estate plan together at all during their lifetime. While putting an estate plan together is a good thing to do, those that do make few updates once the plan has been...
How to Talk to Your Kids About Your Estate Planning Over the Holidays
The holidays are an ideal time to reflect on who and what you are most grateful for in your life. While you are spending quality time with your loved ones this holiday season, we hope that you, like us, take this opportunity to share family traditions,...
Your Financial Year-End Checklist. 7 Must Do’s
The end of the year is fast approaching. As we all prepare for the holidays and the coming of 2019, it is important that we wrap up any loose strings. Before entering into the new year, here are some things that need to be on your end of year checklist: 1. Review...
Planning on Giving Money this Holiday Season? 5 Things to Consider
The holiday season is a time to enjoy friends, family, and loved ones. Often we consider our life circumstances and may get in the spirit of giving. This is particularly true if you are at a point in your life were you have enough from a financial standpoint. If you...
Recent Posts
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
6 Mistakes to Avoid When Creating a Special Needs TrustMarch 3, 2020