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While law offices may not be classified as an “essential business” that remains open for in-person meetings, having a Health Care Directive, and attending to your Will, Living Trust and Power of Attorney, are quite essential during these trying times. From our Home Office to the safety of your Ho...

In these uncertain times when life as we know it has come to a sudden halt in an effort to slow down the beast known as COVID-19, the most relevant legal document is your Advance Health Care Directive. This document names the people who can make medical decisions for you (including termination of...

“SECURE” your IRA –The New Rules, and How SECURE Impacts Your Estate Plan Retirement Accounts are a part of every estate plan, which is designed with these accounts' Rollover and Tax Deferral strategies in mind. However, these rules have now changed, which begs for an Estate Plan review, to ensur...

Starting in January of 2020, the rent control laws in California were significantly changed. Many individuals who inherit real estate and plan to use it as investment property should be aware of these changes before signing a lease agreement and letting tenants in. The California Lawyer's Associa...

The rules on Registered Domestic Partnerships changed significantly starting on January 1, 2020. Whereas in the past, domestic partnerships could be registered between same sex couples, and between opposite sex couples where one partner is over age 62, starting on January 1, 2020, everyone, re...

You've created your living Trust – now what? Establishing your Trust is only the first step in ensuring that your property will go to your desired beneficiaries outside of Probate court. The next step is the most critical one - “funding” your trust - whereby you change title to your property into...

If you have been postponing the setting up of an estate plan for 30 years – have you waited long enough? Going forward - time is not your friend: for folks in their 60s or 70s, waiting any longer to set up Powers of Attorney, Wills and a Trust, and transferring their assets in Trust, could involv...

Every life transition changes the person that we are. Graduating from High School or College, getting Married, starting a Business, or a Family – those are big life events that define new legal paradigms, and entail more responsibilities towards those who are close to us and/or depend on us. Gett...

Summer is time for the long-awaited and much deserved time away from the office and the daily grind. Every year millions of Americans pack their suitcases and board a plane, a cruise ship, or set out on a road trip. Every year many vacations are ruined when the unthinkable happens: an accident, a...

When people think of Estate Planning they usually think about setting up a living trust and powers of attorney. A lot of budget outfits out there would deliver just that. The real value of working with an Estate Planning attorney is to take a holistic approach to Estate Planning and not only have...

It is a common misconception that ANY assets less than $150,000 in value are not subject to Probate. Although that IS true for personal property (accounts, cars, personal items, etc.), this is NOT true for real property. Real property - no matter its value – always goes through Probate Court when...

Children turn 18, and all of a sudden, with a snap of a finger, they are Adults, for all legal intents and purposes. Some of those young adults stand to inherit millions in the way of real estate, financial assets, and life insurance death benefits. But are they able to manage a substantial inher...

When it comes to living trusts, it is not easy for a layperson to distinguish a robust, well-written trust document from a mediocre one. There is the misconception that “I don't have much, therefore I only need a “simple” trust.” The opposite is true: a trust should contain essential provisions t...

Legally everyone is entitled to leave their estate to anyone they want. This means that they can exclude (or “omit”) anyone they want from receiving any distributions under a Will or a Trust. Often there is already an expectation that such individuals will feel wronged and will contest the will o...

Admittedly, this time of year (i.e., March-April), no one wants to think about anything other than Tax Season. The 1099s are in, the expenses are accounted for, and the checks to IRS/FTB hare sent out. So now what? What lessons can we learn and how can we be better protected for next year? One su...

The “Recession” buzz is all around us. One of the worst things that can happen during a recession is to lose a loved one and to actually inherit from their estate through probate. The lessons of 2008-2010 remind us that, during a recession time, not only property values decline, but when you add ...

The IRS issued Revenue Procedure 2018-57 announcing the official estate and gift tax exclusion amounts for 2019. The 2019 applicable federal estate tax exclusion is increased to $11.4 million. The top federal estate, gift and GST tax rate remains unchanged at 40%. This exclusion is...

Unmarried couples who live together as a family unit are often referred to as a “non-traditional” couple. The reality is that more and more people choose to cohabit together as a family, even have children, without formally tying the knot. Because the State of California does not have “common law...

It is a common misconception that if one has a will, there is no court process after they die. This is only true if he/she died not owning any real estate, and having personal property less than $150,000 in value, or with named beneficiaries. When this is not the case, a willhas to undergo a long...

If one dies owning assets in his/her name alone, and the estate requires probate administration, the family would be wise to find a Los Angeles probate attorney with lots of experience in Probate court and one that does not shy from keeping in touch with the family. It is not common knowledge tha...

“I only need a simple Trust” is a request I hear often. However, this “self-diagnosis” may not always be the right one. A “simple” probate avoidance trust may or may not be the best fit for each family dynamic. There are two main factors which dictate the complexity of the trust terms: (1) the ty...

Peace of Mind – is the feeling you get once the final signatures and notary stamps are placed on your living Trust, your Will, and your Powers of Attorney. Planning for incapacity and death is a hard reality, but what is the alternative – regret, and Court process – with its high fees, delays, in...

Pet Hospice is becoming a preferred choice of saying “goodbye” to a beloved companion animal. It is more humane for the animal because it focuses on the relief of the end-of-life suffering, and the pet's comfort. It is infinitely more humane for the pet-owner, for whom this is such a painful and ...

It is common knowledge that if one dies without any estate planning (will or trust), their heirs would be able to inherit outright if they are over the age of majority – age 18. But, most agree that 18-year-olds may not be fully capable of managing financial assets and/or real estate. Placing a T...

When planning for the future, many people forget an essential step in the process. When one dies, many factors come into play immediately. Take care to make good decisions in estate planning so heirs are not left stressed and in trouble. These decisions can have long-lasting effects and should in...