In California, owning assets in a revocable trust enables your family to avoid probate, a court process used to transfer assets to beneficiaries of a will or the decedent’s heirs. One of the main reasons to create a trust is to avoid probate. Unfortunately, more often than we would like, when we assist clients with trust administration after the death…
When a family member passes away, family dynamics are often drastically changed. Even more so when other family members are living in the decedent’s family home, which can occur in a few different ways; thus, pre-planning with a right of occupancy spelled out in your trust can avoid any ambiguities and clarify who owns the property after death and who…
There has been an increase in scams involving people impersonating the government. Scammers say they are from the IRS, Medicare, Social Security Administration, and even the FBI. Most of these scams target seniors and pray on them using fear tactics or promises of big money. Here are a few examples and facts about the government to keep in mind to…
A client recently asked about leaving property to his only child and wanted to know if he could add his child on title to his home rather than using a trust. The client wanted to use joint tenancy to avoid probate and smooth transition between parent and child. While my client was correct about avoiding probate and the smoother transition,…
A power of attorney is an essential part of a comprehensive estate plan. It is common to create your entire estate plan and only think about updating your will and trust as your thoughts on distributing your property may change. However, it is imperative to make sure that you keep other documents up to date as well. Specifically, it is…
Big Three from Episode #068: Be thoughtful about which type of plan you genuinely want to be a part of if you were to get sick in the future. Make sure you have a Medigap plan to help protect your retirement savings. Some decisions are irretrievable, so you must make sure you seek help, ask questions, and talk to someone…
Big Three from Episode #067: If you’re including any type of real estate in your estate plan, it’s vital to discuss with your attorney and understand how Prop 19 can impact you and your loved ones. Make sure your children are included in the discussion and planning process. Do not panic. There are workarounds and ways to protect your assets…