Articles

Helpful articles about trusts, estate planning, retirement, and more

Estate planning for an aging population

Americans are living longer which means that they’re going to need much more financial support as they age. Therefore, estate plans need to be tailored to fit the increasing financial demands of a population that’s living longer …

How a “minor’s trust” can help inheritance management

If you have assets that you would like to leave to a child or grandchild, you can create a minor’s trust. This type of trust is designed to manage and protect those assets until the child in question reaches a specific age …

What to do if you can’t find the original living trust documents

The grantors of a trust often serve as the original trustees, and, therefore, keep possession of their original documents. So, what happens if the trust can’t be found after they’ve died? …

Who gets to see the living trust?

When a family member dies, settling their estate can present some challenges for their survivors. If the decedent had a living trust who gets to see it? …

Legal considerations of living together after 50 for unmarried couples

With so many couples 50 and older living together these days, it’s important for these couples to execute important estate planning documents while they’re healthy and of sound mind…

Tips on estate planning for your second marriage

If you’re getting remarried, you’re bound to face some challenges when it comes to estate planning for you and your new spouse as well as any children from previous marriages…

You may need incapacity planning. Here’s why

Incapacity planning should be included in any comprehensive estate planning. While your chances of becoming incapacitated do increase with age, you could become incapacitated at any age due to illness or an accident…

How can you terminate a trust in California?

Once the duties of the trustee are completed, a trust can be terminated. In California, you need to pay close attention to probate laws, trust laws, and tax liability…

How to deal with the cost of dementia caretaking

Caring for a person with dementia is not only emotionally and physically demanding, but it can take a heavy toll, financially, as well. And, many families aren’t prepared to shoulder that burden…

Update your beneficiary forms now

According to financial experts, failure to update beneficiary forms is one of the most common and costly retirement and estate planning errors…

3 myths about estate planning

Three of the top reasons people give for not having an estate plan, and our responses to those common myths…

Reasons to retire in San Diego

If you’re thinking about relocating after you retire, consider San Diego. Besides the near-perfect climate, San Diego has so much more to offer, including a wide variety to retirement communities …

Signs that you won’t run out of money in retirement

You shouldn’t be losing sleep worrying if you’re going to outlive your retirement savings. Having a retirement income plan in place will significantly reduce the risk of this occurring…

Considerations when developing an estate plan for families with Special Needs

If you’re a parent of a special needs individual, establishing an estate plan that ensures that your child will continue to receive the best possible care when you’re no longer able to provide that care can be challenging…

Selling a home in the San Diego Probate System

There are time when a family has to go through the probate process when selling the house of a family member or close relative that has died without a will or trust or hasn’t designated any beneficiaries to inherit his or her assets. In San Diego, the San Diego probate court outlines the process…

Why navigating probate alone is nearly impossible

If you’ve lost a family member or loved one, it’s a very difficult time. You’re dealing with your grief and the stress of the funeral and all that goes with it. But, after the funeral, comes probate which is the process of handling the deceased’s estate. Navigating probate alone can be confusing and overwhelming…

Probate court nightmare stories

Most people would like to avoid the hassle and stress of having to go through probate. There are a lot of probate court nightmare stories that support this position and for good reason…

How do living trusts and pour-over wills relate?

A pour-over will is necessary if you’ve created a living trust as part of your estate plan. It acts as a safety net, capturing any assets and property that haven’t been transferred to the trust during your lifetime and ensuring that they are placed into the trust after your death…

What you don’t know about Power of Attorney laws

A Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows another person of your choosing to act on your behalf. There are two types of POAs – a regular POA and a Durable POA…

How to talk to your family about estate planning

Estate planning should include instructions on how, when, and to whom you want you assets to be distributed after your death. And instructions for your care should you become disabled or incapacitated, and naming a guardian for minor children or family members with special needs…

What happens to assets not in your trust?

Failing to fund your trust with all of your assets can result in a costly probate process which means more court time and fees to come out of your estate…

This is the year that you get a living trust

2019 is just around the corner, so we’re all going to start thinking about our New Year’s resolutions. A living trust ensures that your estate will be distributed according to your instructions, protects your family from having to go through probate…

Want to learn more about living trusts?

Attending seminars about living trusts can be a good option for individuals who are looking for solid, reliable information…

What happens to assets not in a trust when someone dies?

As time goes on, you may acquire additional assets that also need to placed in the trust. If you neglect to do this before your death…

How to get power of attorney for elderly parents

At some point, there’s a chance that you’re going to have to step into a decision-making role for your parents when they’re no longer capable of making their own decisions concerning financial and legal matters or about health care…

How long does the probate process take?

The timeline for the process can vary from state to state and depend on a number of variables such as the size of the estate or any unexpected problems that may arise…

Are there cheaper alternatives to living trusts?

While there are cheaper alternatives to living trusts, it’s important to review the possible options with respect to the costs and their benefits vs setting up a living trust…

Living trust seminars and information

Living trust seminars are a great way to get free information about the basics of setting up a living trust as well as other estate planning options. It’s a great forum for asking specific questions about living trusts from expert presenters…

Who should you pick to be your trustee?

You’ll more than likely name yourself as the trustee in order to be able to continue managing your financial affairs. But, you’ll also need to choose a successor trustee, someone who can step in and manage your affairs if you should become incapacitated or after your death…

What property should go in a living trust?

A living trust is an estate planning option in which your assets are put into a trust for your benefit throughout your lifetime. While the majority of your assets can be placed in your living trust, there are certain assets that you may not want to place in a trust…

What happens if you can’t get in touch with your estate planning attorney?

Under the American Bar Association Code of Professional Responsibility, a lawyer has a professional responsibility to provide for some type of transition upon his or her retirement or in cases of death, disability, or disbarment. However, especially when it comes to small or solo firms, this is not always the case…

The most common living trust mistakes

Living trusts provide you with many benefits when compared to traditional wills. In addition to avoiding the time and cost of probate, they allow you to have all of your assets covered in a single document and to name your own successor trustee. But, there are some common mistakes that can end up preventing a trust from working in the way that it was intended…

Can somebody be too old to get a will?

Many people discover too late that their elderly family member has not prepared a will. The question then becomes can they still legally do so…

How much does it cost to die in California?

The average cost of a funeral has increased by nearly 40% over that past decade, making funerals one of the most expensive purchases made by consumers. But, the cost of dying is about more than just funeral costs…

How to leave money to for your kids after you pass

While you don’t have to have millions of dollars in assets and property in your estate to be able to leave money to your children, you do need to have an estate plan in place to make sure that your assets and property are distributed as per your wishes upon your death…

Can you leave property to non-relatives?

While there is no legal issue with leaving property to friends and other non-family members, you need to have some type of legal document in place that outlines your wishes to do so…

Is a DNR right for you?

Just as important as making your wishes known regarding the disposition of your estate after death is planning for your end-of-life care. Advanced directives are legal documents that inform your family as well as your doctor about the type of medical care you want if you’re not longer able to so yourself. . .

What is a Durable Power of Attorney?

A durable power of attorney lets you name someone to make decisions regarding your financial affairs and healthcare should you become incapacitated. . .

3 easy strategies you can use to keep your money in the family

Developing strategies for preserving your wealth and keeping it in your family after death should be part of any successful estate planning that you’re considering. . .

How long will your estate last?

Lack of communication seems to be the major problem that wealthy families have in preparing succeeding generations on how to handle inheriting significant wealth. . .

Can any type of attorney create a living trust?

An estate planning attorney provides advice and guidance when it comes to choosing the right estate planning option for maintaining your estate after your death or if you should become incapacitated. . .

Living trusts for single individuals

If you’re widowed, divorced, or unmarried, setting up a living trust can help to reduce the anxiety and stress of not knowing what’s going to happen to your assets when you die. . .

Who is responsible for inheritance when someone dies without a will?

Next-of-kin relationships become important under the state of California’s laws of intestate succession when it comes to determining your “heir(s) at law” if you die without a will in place. . .

Can you avoid probate if there isn’t a will?

If you should die without making a will in the state of California, your assets will go to your closest relatives under the laws of intestate succession . . .

Fun group activities for seniors

The many senior centers in the San Diego area offer the best in group activities for senior citizens to help keep the mind, body, and spirit active and engaged . .

Retirement communities in San Diego

North San Diego County is home to many active adult communities that offer variety of amenities for retirees . . .

High net worth estate planning

The estate planning process for high net worth individuals involves managing wealth and asset protection in order to transfer wealth to future generations . .

Live longer in San Diego

The San Diego Metro Area is one of the nation’s top-ranked areas for long life expectancy with a life expectancy of 80.7 years vs. the national life expectancy average of 78 years . . .

Transferring real estate after death without a will

Setting up a transfer on death (TOD) deed is one of the easiest ways to arrange for the transfer of real estate after death . . .

The cons of qualified personal residence trusts

A Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT) allows you to remove your residence from your taxable estate while giving you the right to use it for the retained income period of the trust. However, there are several negative aspects to this type of trust . . .