Creating an estate plan is the responsible thing to do. This is true for everyone, even if you have limited assets and no children. However, when you create your estate plan, you should remember – it’s not a “set-it-and-forget-it” legal document (documents). As your...
Estate Planning
What is the testamentary capacity to create a will?
Everyone should create a will. This estate planning tool articulates your wishes regarding how you would want your hard-earned to be distributed when you pass on. Without a will, California intestacy laws will make this decision for you – and that may not be close to...
How can you help your parents plan their estate?
Thinking about losing your parents is painful and something no one wants to do. If you’ve recently found yourself in a position where your elderly parents have asked you to help them plan their estate, where should you start? Talk to them about their plans The first...
Blended families require careful estate planning
If you have children and then marry someone else who also has children from a previous relationship, you’ve created a blended family. This can be a beautiful thing, a wonderful way for families to expand and children to get to have new sibling relationships. But it...
3 parts of a comprehensive incapacity plan
Thinking about a time when you won’t be able to make medical or financial decisions for yourself isn’t pleasant. However, if you don’t plan for this possibility, then it may leave a stranger in charge of your assets and life. It’s possible to prevent this with a...
Do you really need a will when you’re young?
It’s important to prepare for the end of your life. It’s something you know you should do, but six out of 10 adults in the U.S. don’t have a living trust or will in place. While most older adults have these important documents in place, many younger Americans have...
Understanding the purpose of pour-over wills
A living trust is a valuable estate planning tool for many Californians. A living trust allows you to maintain control over your assets while you’re alive. Then they’re relatively seamlessly transitioned to your beneficiaries – typically without having to go through...
How to adapt your estate plan for your stage of life
It is best to consider your estate plan as something fluid and dynamic. You need to review and alter it as you go through life for it to serve you and your family as well as it can. Here are some stages to think about: When you first turn 18 years of age You might not...
How do you disinherit a family member without causing chaos
Everyone needs an estate plan regardless of the size of their assets. A properly written estate plan guarantees that your wishes will be honored when you pass on and that your assets will be distributed exactly how you want them to be. But what happens when things...
Estate planning after a serious diagnosis
When you received a serious medical diagnosis, it made you start thinking about your plans for the future. You realized that you didn't have an estate plan yet, so you decided that it was time to get one put in place for your family. This is a good time to do your...