In uncertain times, it is important to be prepared for anything. It is important that you plan for your future, save for retirement, plan your next vacation, invest in a new home, etc. The problem is, many people neglect one very significant part of life – people forget about death.

Dying has never been more complicated; that’s why estate planning is so important. The State and Federal courts will prowl through your estates in search of their share of what you ...

A will essentially states who gets what. A trust is much more comprehensive and has many more benefits. In a trust, you make an arrangement in which one person manages assets for the benefit of a beneficiary.

Get the best of both worlds by combining a will and a trust into an estate plan. By doing so, the need for probate is eliminated. Instead of probate, distributions under a living trust are taken care of privately.

It is also important to know ...

Have you ever moved out of a house or apartment after 5, 10, 15+ years? Did you notice anything? You probably realized you might need to apply to appear on the next episode of Hoarders. We all do it. We all accumulate “stuff.” Stuff can be junk or highly valuable; either way, we all have it. But what happens to all this stuff when you are no longer living?

Wouldn’t it be great to have a plan to give your belongings ...

There are a few ways you can legally eliminate or drastically reduce your estate taxes. Only a qualified attorney can help you make an informed decision, so take a moment to educate yourself with the tips below, but don’t be afraid to contact us to speak to an attorney for free about these issues.

Annual Gifts

A person can make a monetary gift annually to another person, usually a child or grandchild, of up to $14,000 per year without having to pay ...

Currently, health facilities including hospitals and hospices are regulated and licensed by the California Department of Public Health. If it happens that a licensed health care provider diagnoses a patient as terminal, the provider is legally required to inform the patient of all choices they have concerning both medical care and end-of-life care.

A recent change to this law proposes to include some other person, named by the patient or their power of attorney, to the people who shall ...

Economic uncertainties in today’s world make it more important than ever to have an estate plan in place. CNN’s “Money 101″ series covered estate planning and offered up some information and tips for those considering implementing the various tools of estate planning. Here are some:

1. Having even a basic estate plan in place is important, no matter what your net worth may be. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be wealthy to consider having a trust and/or will.
2. The elements ...