When Californians begin the process of estate planning with their attorney, they’re often dealing with documents and terms with which they are only vaguely, if at all, familiar. However, it’s essential to understand what these various documents are and the distinct purposes that they serve. Two common ones are a will and a trust. The […]

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Most of our readers remember the actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. Even if you don’t recognize his name, you likely saw him in one of the many movies he did, including “Hunger Games,” “Doubt,” “Charlie Wilson’s War” and “Capote.” Hoffman died in 2014 of a fatal mixture of drugs. The Oscar-winning actor was found with a […]

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Americans are staying single for longer — often through their 20s and into their 30s. Often single people don’t have any kind of estate plan in place, particularly if they have no children and don’t yet own a home or have significant assets. However, even if you opt not to yet draw up a will, […]

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Most California residents want to spare their heirs the difficulty, time and costs associated with probate proceedings. There are a lot of different strategies one can employ to eliminate the need for probate. One way involves the elimination of probate for specific assets, and it involves the use of joint property. Let’s say you own […]

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If you’re remarrying and haven’t yet created an estate plan, now is the time to do so. It can prevent issues among your children, new spouse and previous spouse if you pass away or become incapacitated to the point where you’re no longer able to speak for yourself. If you already have an estate plan, […]

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Many Californians don’t consider developing an estate plan until they have a child. Then, the primary consideration is often who will be that child’s guardian(s) should both parents pass away or be unable to care for their offspring. That’s certainly not something that anyone wants to consider, but it could happen in the blink of […]

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Creating an estate plan can be a challenging process. This is even more so the case if you have a child who is under the age of 18. If you find yourself in this situation, you need to ask yourself a very important question: Who will care for the child in the event that you […]

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The probate process is one that many people find difficult to handle when their loved one passes away. While there are some cases that involve wills and other estate planning tools, some people pass away intestate. A loved one who dies intestate doesn’t have a will or estate plan in place. This means that the loved ones […]

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Many people develop an estate plan when they first have children. They want to ensure that their kids are cared for by responsible adults and provided for financially if they pass away. However, too often, they then neglect to update those estate plans over the years. An experienced California estate planning attorney will advise you to review […]

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Parents and grandparents generally feel fortunate when they have considerable assets to pass on to younger generations in their family. However, how can you assure that they’ll handle their inheritances wisely? Even responsible people can lose perspective when they inherit a significant amount of money — spending it on things they had never even considered […]

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