Recent Blog Posts
Problems When Professionals Exert Too Much Influence On Estate Plans
Most of us rely on professionals in many aspects of our lives. Whether they are lawyers, accountants, financial professionals, business advisors, bankers, or any other number of professionals, we trust that these individuals have our best interests at heart. It can be hard for us to spot when we are being taken advantage of—such… Read More »
Estate Planning And Social Media Accounts
It sounds like the last thing on your mind, when a loved one passes away: Their social media accounts. Yes, social media accounts for most of us have no monetary value. But you may want to access a deceased’s social media accounts for a number of reasons. California law makes this easier to do… Read More »
Inheritance Issues With Adopted Children
In California, adopted kids legally become the biological children of their legal parents for the purposes of estate planning, and inheritances. Of course, that also means that they lose any rights that they have legally to inherit from their biological parents (although biological parents can still leave property to their biological children through wills… Read More »
Another Reason To Avoid Probate: The High Costs And Expenses
We have written in the past about the difficulties of probate and why one of the goals of a good estate plan is the avoidance of having to go through probate. But there’s another drawback to probate-the costs, Probate is expensive-and those are expenses that you could be avoiding, with proper estate planning. Probate… Read More »
What Happens If You Inherit Mortgaged Property?
If a family member dies, and you inherit property, you may have a lot of questions, especially if the property has a mortgage on it. Alternatively, you may want to leave property to loved ones, knowing that property has a mortgage on it. How does this work, when property is passed on, but the… Read More »
Understanding Estate And Inheritance Taxes
They often say that nothing is certain, except death and taxes. But something else may also be certain, at least without estate planning: Paying taxes on your death, in the form of estate and inheritance taxes. Many people use these terms interchangeably, but they in fact are quite different. The good news is that… Read More »
Contracts To Make A Will Are Usually A Bad Idea
Let’s say that you provide a service to someone, or provide something of value to them. In return, they promise to include you in their will, or leave you something in their will. Later, they pass, and you find that you have been left out of the will. Can you sue? This is called… Read More »
What Is A Conservatorship – And How Can You Avoid It?
It may be sad, but it is also often a fact of life: sometimes people get older, and ill, and sometimes either because of age or disability, they are unable to care for or manage their own affairs. They may need help managing their day to day affairs, particularly their financial affairs. When that… Read More »
Make Guardianship Decisions For Your Minor Children Now
When we talk about estate planning, we usually talk about money or assets, and that’s very important. But not all of estate planning is about money. It can also be a vital part of ensuring that your minor children are taken care of in the event of a catastrophe. When Parents Pass Away Regardless… Read More »
Creditor Claims On Your Estate In Probate
As a general rule, when you pass, your relatives don’t have to pay your debt, and they don’t automatically inherit your debt. Your collectors can’t start going after your relatives, just because you pass away (although they can, if your relatives have actually signed on loans with you). However, creditors can, indirectly go after… Read More »