She called on a Tuesday afternoon. Her father had been diagnosed with dementia six weeks earlier, his decline had been faster than the family expected, and she was beginning to look at what came next. He still lived in the home he had owned for forty years in Lafayette. He had savings. He had a small pension. He had two…
Probate in Contra Costa County: What Walnut Creek Families Need to Know in 2026 When a Walnut Creek family walks into my office after losing a loved one, probate is usually the word they’re hoping not to hear. And I understand why. Probate has a reputation — and much of it is deserved. It can be slow, expensive, and public…
A friend and colleague recently brought to my attention an aspect of our estate planning that neither of us had understood before and which had profoundly affected the family of a dear friend of hers. I am sharing this now to help spread awareness. As with many of the issues we must address in our estate planning, there is no…
With the threat of a “sunset” at the end of this year of the current high federal estate tax exemption back to $5 million, adjusted for inflation, many people across the country are no longer concerned about planning to avoid or minimize estate taxes. However, in the Bay area, there are still many families who do have taxable estates and…
When most people think about Hulk Hogan and Ozzy Osbourne, they probably envision iconic moments from the wrestling ring or heavy metal stage, not wills, trusts, or estate planning. But these two late celebrities, who both passed away in July 2025, each had unique family dynamics and high-profile personal lives. Their deaths offer surprising lessons in estate planning from which…
As you begin to declutter your garage, empty out your closets of old clothes from a decade ago, and freshen up your home this Spring, it may be the perfect time to do a little “life cleaning” to ensure your life planning documents are in order, up to date, and have reflected any life events in the past few years.…