blog

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.

Directing Your Legacy Before Death: The Case of George Lucas

Creator of the wildly successful Star Wars and Indiana Jones film franchises George Lucas has recently sold his largest asset, the LucasFilm company, to The Walt Disney Company. The sale, which netted Lucas over $4 billion, was a smart move for Lucas from an estate planning perspective. A recent article discusses several of the estate […]

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‘Modern Family’ Actress’ Mother Files Objection to Guardianship Proceedings

Since early October, 14-year-old actress has been living with temporary guardian and sister, Shanelle Gray. Recently, the Sacramento Bee reports that Winter’s mother Chrisoula Workman has filed an objection to the guardianship, and is seeking to regain custody of her daughter. Ariel Winter from Modern Family (Photo credit: glennia) The ruling to place Winter with […]

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Probate Avoidance: The Small Estate

One of the many ways California residents can avoid probate is through the “small estate” law, codified in California Probate Code Section 13100-13116. Under this law, an estate valued at $150,000 or less does not need to pass through probate before its assets are distributed. Instead, a beneficiary can use “affidavit procedure,” wherein he or […]

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Basic Types of Power of Attorney

Through executing various powers of attorney, a person — rather than a court — retains the power to decide who will have the authority to make certain decisions on his or her behalf. This recent article discusses several common types of powers of attorney. There are many different powers of attorney, and each power can […]

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Marlon Brando’s Estate Sues Madonna

When Madonna performs her 1990 hit song Vogue, it usually comes with a hefty price tag. Lyrics from the song include the names of a handful of celebrities, including James Dean, Jean Harlow, Ginger Rogers, Greta Garbo, Marline Dietrich, and Joe DiMaggio. Every time the superstar performs the hit, she must pay royalties to their […]

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Tax Planning for Small Business Owners in Uncertain Times

Small business owners will face much uncertainty when it comes to tax planning at the end of this year. Not only is there uncertainty based on the fact that many tax laws set to change, but the dynamic of an election year further complicates the process of predicting which tax laws will remain in the […]

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Estate Planning Lessons Learned from the Untimely Death of Natina Reed

Singer and actress Natina Reed, best known for her role in R&B girl group “Blaque” as well as her starring role in a 2000 cheerleading movie, “Bring it On,” has died at 32. Details are emerging about her estate, and the lessons that can be learned from it. The most important lesson to be gleaned […]

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Estate Planning for Your Digital Assets

We live in a digital world. With every year that passes, more and more of our lives are moving into the digital realm.  This includes friendships, networking, business and banking. Many people would now consider their Facebook password to be just as secret and sensitive as a credit card or social security number! We all […]

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Are Health Care Costs A Part of Your Retirement Plan?

When people do the math to determine what their financial budgetary needs will be they factor in all the usual expenses, as well as change-of-lifestyle expenses (such as a travel budget, for example). But according to this article on CNBC.com, what many people still neglect to factor into their retirement budget is health care expenses. […]

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When Do You Need a Probate Attorney?

The subject of probate is one that nobody wants to learn about too early. In fact, most people would probably avoid it altogether if they could. Unfortunately, the probate process can be very confusing and frightening when you are forced to become intimately acquainted with it—especially if you have no prior experience with or knowledge […]

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