Estate Planning

A terminal illness diagnosis when you are still young and have amassed considerable assets is a terrible blow. You likely worked hard to build a successful career and financial security but now face the harsh reality of leaving it all behind. While coming to terms...

When planning your estate, you intend to bequeath your beneficiaries the best possible inheritance while also minimizing the impact of taxes. Among the taxes you'd want to reduce is the generation-skipping transfer tax (GSTT). Understanding the various strategies that...

The best estate plan possible doesn't just list someone's assets and name the people who should inherit those resources. Estate plans can also address future needs, including the possibility of incapacity later in life. A medical emergency like a stroke could put...

Transferring ownership of a home in California to adult children is a significant decision that involves various legal and financial considerations. Because your home is such a valuable asset, it’s imperative that you do this in a way that makes it easiest for them to...

A Payable On Death account, or a POD account, gives you a new option to transfer assets to others. You name a beneficiary on a bank account or another eligible financial account. When you pass away, the beneficiary provides the death certificate or notice to the...

This year, California enacted a “next-of-kin” law that allows medical facilities to designate a surrogate to speak and make decisions for a patient who is in a condition where they’re unable to speak for themselves. The law applies only when a patient has no advance...

Some people experience a decline in their health as they age which will render them dependent on others for meeting their basic needs. Additionally, many people experience some kind of unanticipated medical emergency at some point in life, such as a blood clot or a...

Your family business was passed on to you by the previous generation, and your intention is to follow this trend. You’re reaching retirement age now and it’s time to think about the future. You aren’t always going to be physically able to cope with the strain of...

It’s natural to want to leave something behind for the people and causes you care about when you die. To do so, however, you need to articulate your wishes in writing. And one of the most effective estate planning tools you can use to achieve this is a will. ...

A revocable living trust is often created alongside a will. It allows you to name your trustee and transfer ownership of your property to them. By doing this, your trustee owns it, but you maintain control of the property while you are alive.  Because the trust is...