Estate Planning

It has never been more important to take advantage of the current gift and estate tax exemptions. Currently, Congress seems poised to work on legislation that would increase the tax rate and decrease the dollar amount for the estate tax.

A recent plan unveiled by Bernie Sanders proposes to raise estate tax rates from the current 45% to 65%. Additionally, it would reduce the overall death benefit an individual could receive from $11.7 million to $3.
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Trust agreements are used in estate plans. These flexible estate planning tools allow you to customize your estate plan to meet your needs and goals. With many different types of trusts, it is important to understand the differences before choosing the type of trust for your estate plan. A Read more . . .

Estate planning is an essential step in ensuring your wishes are carried out after your death. However, it is also the best way to ensure that your family and loved ones are cared for when you die. Generally, most people have questions about estate planning.

Instead of putting off estate planning because you have questions, let our Read more . . .

Ideally, you should start with your estate plan as soon as California law allows. In California, a person who is at least 18 years old or is an emancipated minor can write a valid will, trust, and other estate planning documents.

If you are no longer a child and you become severely sick or injured or pass away, your family would have to go to court to get the legal authority to take care of your financial matters, make medical decisions for you, or administer your estate if you do not have an estate plan that covers those situations. Also, these papers can be useful for people who are perfectly healthy. A Read more . . .

The last thing that most people want is for their loved ones to get shortchanged because your estate had to pay avoidable expenses or taxes after you died. Every dollar that your estate has to pay in taxes or costs is a dollar that your family will never get.

There are many ways to set up your estate to minimize and sometimes entirely avoid these things that waste the money that you worked a lifetime to earn. A Read more . . .

Have you made a will or trust only to file it away and promptly forget about it?

If so, you are not alone. While many of us are proactive in initial estate planning, we often fail to revisit our essential documents in the years following.

However,

The advantages of remote work and increased wealth have offered many Californians the opportunity to maintain multiple residences across different states.

While this may seem like an enviable luxury, it carries with it the complications of distinguishing between one’s residences and one’s domicile. Why is this important? And what does domicile mean in California?

Many individuals attempt to escape high California taxation by establishing permanent residency in a different, low-tax state. Unfortunately, as Read more . . .

The sudden death or incapacitation of a loved one can be overwhelming. It can also create a financial crisis for the family. Without a comprehensive estate plan, a spouse may be unable to access accounts and funds the family needs to pay bills and living expenses. There could be confusion about who has the authority to make crucial decisions. The crisis can be avoided by working with a Read more . . .

Probate in California is extremely expensive. By categorizing estate assets in California carefully, it can be possible to avoid probate or minimize the assets that have to pass through the courts. A Read more . . .

A DIY movement has swept the nation, with internet tutorials and documents available for almost any need. But when it comes to matters as important as financial and legal affairs, is adopting

a standardized web-based approach the best idea? The convenience and minimal upfront investment of do-it-yourself wills and estate plans are attractive lures. However, using standardized documents to establish a personalized and comprehensive estate plan could be challenging, and may lead to costly problems in the future.

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Transferring assets of a deceased person’s estate do not have to be onerous. California provides a simplified procedure that allows the transfer of estate assets in some situations without having to go to probate court. Also, there are ways that a living person can arrange for specific assets to transfer to their beneficiaries automatically when the current owner dies.

A Read more . . .