In a number of our posts we have noted that estate planning is helpful for people at just about any age. You don’t need to have millions in liquid assets, multiple real estate holdings or tax shelters in order to have a basic estate plan. In fact, just having an idea about how you would […]

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To those who are retired, have plenty of money and are entering their golden years, the importance of an estate plan may be an afterthought. After all, they probably have managed their money and assets well up to this point, and may feel that creating an estate plan invites morbid thoughts of their own mortality. […]

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Everyone should write a will. There is no doubt about that. A will can clarify your end-of-life wishes on a wide variety of matters, not the least of which is how you want your assets handled after you die. An attorney can help you prepare a will to make it most effective. However, depending on […]

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A probate judge will decide what’s best for your estate assets and minor children should you die intestate. Dying without a will means you forfeit control over the distribution of possessions and child guardianship. California succession laws, Probate Code sections 6400-6414, define what happens when you ignore estate planning. Some Los Angeles residents choose an alternative to […]

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Who will receive your retirement savings when you die? Will it be the heir named in your will or the forgotten beneficiary you chose years ago? If you believe a California will trumps a beneficiary designation, think again. The most carefully designed and tended estate plan is flawed if beneficiaries are not updated. When you opened the […]

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The totality of what you own is your estate. Sometimes, Los Angeles residents feel assets don’t need estate planning attention until later in life. After all, when you’re a young California adult, a lot of what you earn is burned up in expenses like college tuition, buying a vehicle or getting married. It can take […]

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The age of maturity isn’t the same for all individuals and can differ by years from the age of majority or legal adulthood. Los Angeles parents who plan to leave their children a substantial inheritance often worry how assets will be handled once the children get them. Estate planning allows parents to have control over […]

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Many California legal documents, like some trusts, cover asset transfer wishes for individuals in robust health. Other estate planning documents, like wills, have no effect until a person dies. However, neither of these documents will do much good if you become incapacitated and unable to manage your finances and health care decisions. Well-rounded Los Angeles estate plans […]

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California residents are likely familiar with several high profile legal battles in recent years involving the termination of life-sustaining treatment for terminally ill individuals. This kind of conflict can place families under a great deal of stress, and it may often be prevented if the individual concerned has drafted a living will. This document outlines […]

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The holiday season is one of the few times each year that entire families make a concerted effort to be in the same place at the same time. Even members of small families have incompatible schedules that make scheduling otherwise difficult. A California parent who wants to convey their estate wishes may have no better […]

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