When you begin considering all the estate planning options available these days, it can seem overwhelming. It may even keep you from creating a plan at all.This is a response that many people have, and it can prevent them from taking important steps toward protecting...
Do I need a probate attorney?
Year: 2018
Keep these estate planning mistakes out of your life
Creating an estate plan is one of the most important things you'll ever do, as this impacts you and your loved ones in a number of ways. Without an estate plan in place, there's no way of knowing exactly what will happen when you pass on.Many people before you have...
Consider unequal bequests in your will very carefully
When you create your will, it is always best to consider how the terms of the will may affect the people that you include or exclude from it. For many families, unequal bequests in a will can create strong rifts between family members who feel that they were treated...
Charitable remainder trusts can provide annuity income
Establishing a charitable trust is an excellent way to preserve important resources and support causes that you value, allowing you to still benefit financially. If these trusts are properly constructed and thoughtfully planned, they may serve as a strong component of...
Estate planning helps prevent family conflicts
For many people, estate planning is a chore that they put off as long as possible. This may make sense in the moment, especially for those who find the idea of estate planning stressful. Often, creating an estate plan forces us to consider our own mortality and the...
Make your wishes for your funeral immediate visible and available
The way that movies and television shows portray the reading of a deceased person's will, it often seems as though it is one of the first things that occurs when that person breathes their last breath. In reality, the reading of a will is often not done until some...
Establishing a durable financial power of attorney
At some point, most of us will need someone to look after our finances, whether due to some serious life event like long-term illness or incapacitation, or merely old age. While this is a practical concern for nearly everyone sooner or later, many people resist making...
Why establish a charitable trust?
When many people think about establishing a charitable trust, it seems like the kind of thing that only the super-rich do, and even then, mostly for the tax advantages. It is true that charitable trusts offer significant tax advantages. However, they are not only a...
Should I make gifts to reduce my estate tax?
When it comes to handling significant resources in estate planning, it can certainly feel as though the popular saying "more money, more problems" is true. Because California has many more regulations than most other states, understanding how to navigate through the...
Yes, every adult should have a will!
Recently, news broke that music legend Aretha Franklin —one of the most influential and widely loved artists of her generation — passed away without any sort of estate planning in place. Not only did she die without a trust to hold her assets, she did not...
