Articles

An issue that frequently arises in estate planning is the reassessment of property taxes. In California, property taxes are based on the assessed value of the property. When a property is sold or [...]

Dying intestate can have serious legal implications and can lead to unintended outcomes, disputes, and complications when administering the estate.

A generation-skipping trust is an estate planning tool that allows you to transfer assets to grandchildren or more remote descendants. However, there are important tax implications to consider [...]

A common question that arises during probate is “who gets paid first?” There are multiple parties that need to be paid during and after probate. Creditors of the decedent, governmental entities [...]

One of the main advantages of a trust is that it avoids probate. A trust can be seen as an investment for the benefit of its beneficiaries. A trust is created during a client’s lifetime so that [...]

Understanding Your Domicile for Estate Planning Purposes As our society becomes more mobile and flexible, it is not uncommon for individuals to work in one state while maintaining a home in [...]

What Happens When You Can’t Find a Beneficiary During Probate? Probate is the judicial court process in which a deceased person’s will or estate is distributed. In a typical probate, the court [...]

Like any field in the practice of law, the realm of estate planning is filled with terms that many would consider “legalese.” Often times clients use the terms “trust” or “will” interchangeably [...]

The goal of estate planning is to ensure that a person’s wishes are effectuated at the time of their passing. Most people drafting an estate plan wish for their belongings to pass to those people [...]

Can I Handwrite My Own Will? California is one of 26 states which allows the creation of holographic wills. “Holographic” simply means a document wholly written by the hand of its author. A [...]