Category: Wills & Trusts

Life insurance plays a significant role in protecting your loved ones and securing their financial future. However, when these policies are included in your taxable estate, their proceeds may be subject to hefty estate taxes. By using an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT), you can shield these funds from unnecessary tax burdens...

Intestate probate is the process that an estate has to go through when a person dies without leaving a valid will or living trust behind. After gathering the assets and paying the debts of the estate, the administrator will distribute the remaining assets according to the rules of intestate succession in California.

Often, the assets...

A handwritten will can be a valid document as long as the paperwork meets California’s requirements for validity, but you might wonder whether you can handwrite a living trust and whether it would hold up in court. You could technically create an oral trust, but that would create more problems than it is...

California law contains time limits to contest a will or object to the appointment of a personal representative, as well as many other aspects of the administration of an estate. You need to know these deadlines if you plan to take any of these actions so that you do not lose the legal right...

There is so much misinformation going around about trusts and other estate planning topics that we thought we would clear up a few things. You do not want to rely on what your friend’s uncle’s brother’s neighbor’s coworker’s golf buddy supposedly said about California trusts. A California trusts attorney can talk to you about...

There’s no doubt that having kids can be financially taxing. However, it’s important to note that not all children cost you the same amount of money. When you have multiple children, you likely want to ensure that your kids feel as though they are treated fairly and equally. For that reason, you may be thinking...

If your loved one died and named you as the Successor Trustee of a living trust, you will have a great deal of work to do while dealing with your grief and loss. The good news is that because your loved one left a living trust, usually you will not have to go to...

You might decide sometime after making a will that you want to change some of the terms of the document. Perhaps one of the beneficiaries is now deceased, or you no longer own an item you gave away in the will. There can be many reasons for wanting to modify your will.

You do...

You just got your living trust set up, and you are feeling relieved about the future for yourself and your loved ones. If you become disabled, your successor trustee can manage your financial matters. When you die, your estate will not have to go through probate court. But not so fast. Your trust is...

Even siblings who got along during your lifetime might become estranged from each other if they fight over their inheritance. With a little guidance, you can avoid situations in which your children become enemies for life. A California estate planning attorney can talk to you and suggest specific things that you can do...