Horizon Elder Law & Estate Planning Blog

If you are named to serve as the personal representative of a loved one’s estate, you will have many responsibilities under the California probate code. One of these tasks is to file an inventory with the probate court. You will have to follow the rules and perform this task correctly before the judge will approve the inventory.

California law allows you to work with professionals when administering an estate. A California estate planning attorney can help you with estate administration and explain what it means to file the inventory.
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For many people, their home is their largest asset. Therefore, they want their children to inherit their home. Working with a California estate planning attorney is the best way to ensure your children inherit your home after your death.

Leaving Your Home to Your Adult Children

There are four basic ways you can leave your home to your children in your estate plan:

Last Will and Testament

Most individuals choose this simple route to pass their home and other assets to their children. Your Will allows you to choose who inherits your property.

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.
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Dementia is one of the common health issues that individuals face as they age. Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia cause a person to lose their memory. They also lose the ability to understand many of the things going on around them, including the ability to make health care decisions.

A California elder law attorney assists you in executing documents that protect your right to choose your medical care. It is important to make your desires known now while you can make informed decisions about medical treatments and care for dementia-related illnesses.

As you evaluate your preparations for retirement, you need to know how your income will get taxed after you stop working and have a fixed income. Many people rely primarily or solely on Social Security retirement benefits when they retire. Pensions are not as commonplace as they used to be. Some people invest in annuities and wonder if doing so was a prudent financial decision.

A California estate planning attorney can answer your questions, like, “How are annuities and retirement benefits treated for tax purposes?” and draft your estate planning documents.

Serving as the caregiver for an aging relative with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia can be exhausting, stressful, and isolating. Since millions of Americans find themselves in this situation, it could help if you have a few pointers to help you on this challenging path.

A California elder law attorney can provide guidance on the many legal issues that you and your loved one might face. This blog will give an overview of suggestions in several areas of caregiving, like everyday care, changes in communication and behavior, a healthy and active lifestyle, home safety, and taking care of the caregiver. Here are 10 tips for family caregivers: tips for caring for elderly parents with dementia.
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The shocking truth that we all need to realize is that what happened to Britney Spears could happen to any of us. A judge could take away your control over your income, the assets you have built up over the years, your right to make medical decisions, and nearly everything else that matters to you. A court could appoint someone to make all of your decisions, even against your wishes.

The good news is that you can take steps now to protect yourself from an outcome like what Britney Spears has experienced. You can sign legal documents now to select people you trust to act on your behalf if you should ever become incapacitated, permanently or temporarily, from an illness, accident, or some other reason.
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California allows for two types of probate guardianships for minor children and adults – guardianship of the person and guardianship of the estate. In the guardianship of the person, the court-appointed guardian acts in the place of a parent and makes the day-to-day kinds of decisions that a parent would for a child or that a competent adult would make for himself. A guardian of the estate, also called a conservator, manages the financial affairs of the minor child or incapacitated adult.

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A testamentary trust gives you flexibility that a living trust or will cannot provide by themselves. A testamentary trust is not a stand-alone document because it is part of a will or living trust. You can have more than one testamentary trust and still have a living trust.

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No one enjoys paying taxes. However, there are very few people who are able to avoid paying some form of taxes during their lifetime. Unfortunately, some individuals pay taxes after their death. Estate taxes can be a burden on your family. Our Read more . . .

Long-term care can cost a fortune, quickly burning up the savings and assets you work hard to earn throughout your lifetime. One way to get help with this expense is to buy long-term care insurance. These policies are expensive, so you might be wondering, Is long-term care insurance a good purchase?

The short answer is that it depends. There are options that could work better for you. A