If you only have a will - or do not have a will at all - your estate goes through probate court: a lengthy, costly, public court proceeding. The trust helps avoid that!

If you have signed your trust, you must be sure to put your assets into the trust before you are actually “done.”

In theory you can name your trust anything you want; however, there are practical considerations that you should discuss with your lawyer.

When creating an estate plan, you get to decide who takes care of your child on a daily basis AND who manages money for your child. It doesn’t have to be the same person.

If you have a living trust, then it’s likely that your trust uses your social security number as your TAX ID number and you file taxes just as you always have done so.

How much does an estate plan cost? It depends on the attorney and what you actually need in your plan. Contact me for a free consultation and to discuss costs.

What are the rules for common law marriage in California?

3 reasons to avoid probate in California: cost, time, and publicity.

Retirement plans and estate plans are often conflated; please join this presentation via Zoom to learn the what, when, and why of both!

A power of attorney does something different than a trust does something different than a will. Here’s a summary of the most frequently used terms and their definitions.

What happens if you die without a will? The state gets to decide where your stuff goes.

What is resentment? Follow these steps to do the work to get through the resentment to the other side of peace. (Guest post)

When someone dies, there are bills (debts) and assets (money or property). What bills to pay will depend on various factors: but please consult an attorney before you pay anything.

Three reasons to estate plan now: you have more than $184,500 in assets; you have kids; or you want to make life easier for your loved ones if you’re incapacitated or deceased.

2023 brings us updates to the federal gift tax exclusion and the federal estate tax exemption! California still doesn’t have either.

Married couples can use the estate tax exemption amount of both spouses, so long as the surviving spouse timely files Form 706 with the IRS.

A brief review of California estate planning….

You don’t need to prepare anything to meet with me. I will ask you questions and we will talk through everything at the initial consultation.

How do you find an estate planning attorney? Referrals from friends and family, trusted professionals, and Yelp reviews give a good start; but whether or not to hire someone comes down to (basically) whether you like them or not.

Why do married couples need estate plans? To make sure that they make life easier for their spouse in times of incapacity and at the time of death.