General Estate Planning
Welcome to Estate Planning 101. Estate planning is the process of designating who you want to receive your assets and handle your responsibilities if you should become incapacitate or after your death. Creating or revising your estate plan requires making a series of decisions, some of which can present a challenge.
- Unorganized estate plans can cause headaches DetailsA clearly written estate plan goes a long way in ensuring a smooth transition of assets. An unorganized plan can make the job of settling your estate overwhelming and time-consuming for your loved ones.
- Should you write your own obituary? DetailsWriting your own obituary is something you alone can create. Not such a good idea to go it alone when writing an estate plan.
- Common family heirlooms passed down through generations DetailsFamily heirlooms are things that represent your family’s wealth, history, or memories. What are our choices for the most common family heirlooms?
- Adding stepchildren to your estate plan DetailsWhat estate planning options are available to ensure that your stepchildren will not have inheritance issues after the death of you or your spouse?
- Can NFTs be put in a living trust? DetailsHere are a few things to consider when deciding how to allocate control of your assets that are digital, meaning not physical or tangible.
- It’s never too late for estate planning DetailsWhen are you too young or too old to think about estate planning? Most financial advisors say you should begin when you’re of legal age and are of sound mind and before you become incapacitated and are unable to make decisions.
- How to create a list of assets DetailsAn important facet to estate planning is creating a list of assets. What types of items should you include?
- Living trusts for LGBTQ couples DetailsFor individuals that are in a same-sex marriage or registered domestic partnership, estate planning should be a priority to protect financial assets, name a guardian for minor children, and ensure the distribution of assets as per their wished upon their death.
- Removing a house from your trust DetailsAfter you create a trust, you have to fund it. The majority of assets, including your house, can be transferred into the trust to fund it. But, what if your circumstances change and you need to remove it?
- Estate planning mistakes of the rich and famous DetailsYou may think that you don’t need to create an estate plan because estate plans are only for the wealthy. But, without an estate plan in place, you could run into the same mistakes made by Prince or Heath Ledger.
- Should estate planning be solo or combined when married DetailsGetting married for the first time? Remarrying? You and your future spouse need to make a discussion about estate planning a priority. Should you have joint representation once you are married or go solo?
- The problem with estate planning software DetailsYou can find DIY estate planning software all over the internet. It can be a really appealing alternative to hiring an estate planning attorney with attorney fees. But, any mistakes you make can end up costing you so much more in the long-run.
- Estate planning after a spouse dies DetailsThe amount of paperwork following the death of a spouse is stressful. Being prepared beforehand, will help reduce time and stress. If no estate plan was created before your spouse’s death don’t panic and contact us.
- How to leave your house to your kids DetailsAre you considering leaving your home to your children? If so, you need to learn about the four options available to you to make this happen.
- Getting remarried with an estate plan can be complicated DetailsIf you’re planning on getting remarried, you need to carve out some time in your busy schedule to revisit your current estate plan. Getting remarried can have a significant impact on your financial plan and the management of your estate, especially is either of you have children.
- Estate planning for married couples DetailsOnce you’ve embarked on married life, estate planning becomes increasingly more important. It’s all about providing financial protection for your spouse and/or children if or when something happens to you.
- Estate planning with no family DetailsIf you have no immediate family members to whom you can leave your assets, do you still need to have an estate plan? Yes! Unless you want the state of California to claim them.
- Estate planning jokes DetailsHaving an estate plan in place ensures that your wishes will be carried out should you become incapacitated or upon your death. But, it’s not an easy topic to discuss. Breaking the ice with a little humor can make it easier to initiate the discussion.
- San Diego stay at home orders DetailsAs California experiences another surge in COVID cases and ICU’s become filled to capacity, the stay-at-home orders put into place by Governor Newsom have been extended until ICUs in the region return to 15% accommodation availability
- Why January is the best time to organize your estate planning paperwork DetailsMost financial advisors and estate planning attorneys recommend that you plan to organize your estate planning documents and take a complete inventory of all your assets and liabilities once a year.
- Ways that estate plans fail DetailsEstate plan failures are, for the most part, not caused by problems with the language in the plan or tax strategies. Most often, they’re the result of lack of follow through on the part of the client or trust mismanagement.
- Questions to ask your parents before they pass DetailsTalking to your parents about their mortality and the estate planning that needs to be done before they die is one of hardest discussions you’ll need to have with your parents.
- Tips on estate planning for your second marriage DetailsIf 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….
- 3 myths about estate planning DetailsThree of the top reasons people give for not having an estate plan, and our responses to those common myths…
- Considerations when developing an estate plan for families with Special Needs DetailsIf 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….
- How to talk to your family about estate planning DetailsEstate 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 if you can’t get in touch with your estate planning attorney DetailsUnder 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…
- 3 easy strategies you can use to keep your money in the family DetailsDeveloping 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? DetailsLack of communication seems to be the major problem that wealthy families have in preparing succeeding generations on how to handle inheriting significant wealth. . .
- High net worth estate planning DetailsThe estate planning process for high net worth individuals involves managing wealth and asset protection in order to transfer wealth to future generations . . .
- Figuring out which estate planning option is best for you DetailsEveryone over the age of 18 should have established some type of estate plan. Which plan is the best for you individual needs depends upon a number of factors . . .
Disclaimer
The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.t