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…
This seems like a simple question, right? My retirement goes to the person I listed as my beneficiary (spouse, kids, etc.). Most of the time this is true, yet we also get a fair share of people having to file a probate for an IRA or having to request the court to allow someone to set up a special needs…
Big Three from Episode #059: Elder mediation can help families reach agreements about legal, financial, and care planning for their aging loved ones and their estate. Even if you think a conflicting party will not agree to mediation, it’s worth getting in touch with a mediator to find ways to engage the parties in communication. The ultimate goal is to…
Estate planning is not just for seniors. Ideally, as soon as you turn eighteen you should have some version of an estate plan because your parents are no longer automatically able to make decisions or act on your behalf. There are several reasons to create a power of attorney for finances once you turn eighteen. For example, the military helps…
Natalie scrunched up the letter in her hand and tossed it into the trash. “Thanks for nothing, Uncle Fred.” Her husband, John, frowned. “Bad news?” Natalie shrugged. “Remember when Uncle Fred said he was going to pay the college tuition for all his nieces and nephews?” “Sure, we figured that into our financial plan. It will be a big help.”…
Many people set up estate plans because they are concerned with having to pay estate or “death” taxes. Currently, if someone dies in 2020, their estate is taxed by the Federal government for every dollar their estate is over $11,580,000. California does not currently impose any estate taxes. But what happens if you own property in another state? What if…
Our clients understand the importance of estate planning. In this time of COVID-19, many people are also feeling a sense of urgency. It is important to remember, though, that the plan is only the beginning. A surprising number of our clients discover, after the death of a family member, that an asset that should have been transferred to the trust…
On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed into law the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (the “SECURE Act”), and it became effective on January 1, 2020. The SECURE Act has made several changes to the administration of retirement accounts. One big change is that it increases the required beginning date for required minimum distributions (“RMDs”) from your…