Whether young or not-so-young, planning for the future is essential and often overlooked. You never know when something could happen, so having a plan to protect your family and your assets is a necessity.  Even if you are just getting started in your adult life, there are things you can prepare for—such as deciding who will make decisions in the event you become incapacitated. Estate planning becomes vital Read More

An executor takes on a LOT of responsibility once the person behind an estate passes away. Because of this, an executor is the most important person in an estate and takes a lot of consideration to select. We understand this is a lot of pressure, so we want to make sure you’re ready should that day come. 1. Have a plan BEFORE death The best protection from headaches later in the estate process is to get ahead Read More

Your Estate Plan is a reflection of your own life, wishes, and loved ones. As your life changes and grows, shouldn’t your Estate Plan change and grow too? Estate Planning is the process of working with an attorney to create a legally-binding plan for what will happen to your remaining belongings and property after you pass away. Once you have created your Estate Plan, it is ready to be used - but it is still able to Read More

The New Year is a time to look back on all that has changed in the past twelve months and what direction you want to move towards going forward. For parents who are recently divorced, or currently in the process of divorcing, that change can be a lot. When your day-to-day life looks so different than it did a year ago, where should your priorities lie? This New Year, let’s look forward to the ways that divorced Read More

For California estate planners, the question posed in the title might be a false question. In other words, your estate plan might need both documents in order to fulfill your wishes regarding your end-of-life care.  Difference Between the Two Documents Before deciding which document you need (or both), you need to understand the differences between a living Will and healthcare power of attorney.  A Read More

Besides Wills, trusts are arguably the most popular (and commonly used) documents for California estate planners. Trusts allow grantors to pool assets into one place and write specific instructions for trustees on distributing those assets. The main reason for creating trusts is the ability to avoid probate, a somewhat long and expensive legal process.  Not all trusts, however, allow the grantor’s loved ones Read More

Glimmers of hope concerning COVID-19 have begun to show up here and there. While health professionals have predicted a challenging winter, you or your children’s co-parent might be looking at visiting family during the holiday season. After all, the winter holidays are best spent with warm family members and loved ones. Before you book those plane tickets, though, make sure the trip checks all the legal Read More

In short, yes. No matter how carefully you craft your estate plan—Wills, trusts, powers of attorney—life is full of changes. Estate planners should periodically review their documents to ensure their goals are still being fulfilled. If planners need to update, modify, or revoke their estate planning documents, there are procedures available to do so while the planner has capacity. The exact procedure to be used, Read More

The destruction of the concept of time and our normal routines is but one major impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, it’s probably hard to believe that the kids are already back in school. We understand how difficult the past year-and-a-half has been for co-parents across California, and starting a new school year can exacerbate existing issues and create new ones. Now, here are some ways to have a great Read More

During the pandemic, many of us watched I Care a Lot, the at-times horrifying Netflix thriller about a predatory professional guardian, Marla Grayson. Marla made a career out of petitioning friendly judges to grant her guardianship of elderly people who supposedly needed help managing their finances and physical well-being. With the help of an equally corrupt physician, Marla sought out independently wealthy seniors Read More