One of the things that makes managing legal issues so challenging is that the laws are always changing. This blog is designed to help you stay current on many of the latest changes.
It is very common in California to create trusts, mostly because probate fees are very high here and it takes a long time for a probate estate to close. People sometimes have the mistaken impression that trusts are only for “trust fund babies”, but they are a very common way for parents to plan for […]
read more...It’s three a.m. The baby’s crying, you’re not sleeping, and the laundry baskets – all of them – are overflowing. Hey, this is the perfect time to start planning your estate! Seriously – becoming a parent is thrilling and you want to remember every moment (even if you don’t get to sleep much). So why […]
read more...Kris and Bruce. Orlando and Miranda. No one is immune from a divorce, even celebrities. We share their pain, even at a distance. Families get shaken up, and lives change direction. This kind of news gets around fast, but there’s other, real-world stuff involved in any divorce that doesn’t get posted or tweeted…things like changing […]
read more...Recently, travel blogs and other media are posting that it is possible to inherit or use airline reward miles from someone who has died. Of course, some airline programs have explicit policies against this. But some do allow it, for a fee, which could range from nominal to pretty hefty. Most importantly, the ones that […]
read more...Funeral planning can be a very personal thing, and depending how you do it, even a newsworthy event. The Infinity Burial Project (http://infinityburialproject.com) has developed a suit infused with mushroom spores and other organic flora that, after the burial, help facilitate decomposition and dispersal of toxins. For someone who lived a “green,” planet-friendly life, this […]
read more...Heath Ledger. Whitney Houston. River Phoenix. Brittany Murphy. Cory Monteith. When beloved stars die suddenly – at a young age – we are saddened and shocked. Unexpected things, bad and good, can happen to anyone, any time. And if you are mature (I hate to say “old”) enough to feel and think about these […]
read more...We admire Brad and Angelina, Bono, George Clooney, Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, and so many others, not only for their star quality and talent, but also because of what they do in going beyond the call to help people all over the globe. And, talking about role models, Hollywood icons Doris Day and Tippi Hedren […]
read more...Famous couples seem to lead charmed lives filled with big money, fabulous homes, and gorgeous kids. Then suddenly…their divorce is trending, tweeting, and ever so topical! It’s easy to get so tuned in to the awfulness of the split that things get forgotten. Like how the divorce affects the estate, and the assets, of the […]
read more...Valerie Harper, the iconic TV actress, is facing her terminal illness with dignity, grace, good humor, and strength. Whether we watch her dancing on TV or simply sharing her thoughts and experiences with the media, we can learn so much about celebrating every moment of our lives. Not everyone faces the reality – or even […]
read more...If you decide to include a trust as part of your estate planning, you will need to name someone as Trustee. And we aren’t necessarily talking about your best friend, your neighbor the lawyer, or even your closest relative. Your choice for trustee should be someone you know to be a reasonable, prudent person who […]
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