Whether you consider your California estate simple and basic or complex and high-net-worth, you can protect your assets and provide for your loved ones’ futures by crafting a solid estate plan. While there are state laws that must be met for estate documents to be...
Compassionate And Competent
ESTATE PLANNING – Estate Administration & Probate
What should be in your health care power of attorney?
It can be difficult and emotional to make important decisions about your future. You may not want to think about what could happen if you face incapacitation for any reason, but it is critical to think about these things. By having a plan in place, you can feel...
Lawsuit filed during probate of Anne Heche’s estate
In August, a California woman was working from home when an automobile suddenly came crashing through her walls. She says she nearly died that day. Her home caught fire when the car ignited in flames. The woman has since filed a $2 million lawsuit against the estate...
Creating an advance directive for a California estate plan
A person might have certain preferences that he or she wants to be carried out when nearing the end of life. For instance, one individual might not want to be resuscitated if his or her heart stops. Another person might be comfortable with the idea of having a feeding...
Does your estate’s executor need to be your adult child?
In many cases, a responsible adult child will effectively administer a parent’s estate. Those responsibilities are many and include paying outstanding taxes and debt, distributing assets such as money from retirement investments, bank and money market accounts, and...
Important steps for the creation of a strong estate plan
There is no way to predict what will happen in the future, but there are things you can do now that will allow you to feel confident regarding what is ahead. One of the most important things you can do, regardless of your health, income or age, is to create a...
Priscilla Presley in probate court over daughter’s estate
Many music fans in California and throughout the world still mourn the death of Elvis Presley, known as, ''The King of Rock and Roll.'' For decades, droves of fans have flocked to his beloved former home, Graceland, which was left as an inheritance to his daughter,...
Alert! Estate plan rules for retirement assets have changed
Beneficiaries in California and throughout the country will want to update themselves on new rules that apply to assets acquired as inheritance through retirement benefits. Such benefits include Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), as well as programs, such as...
Celebrities who did not sign a will
Many high-net-worth Californians wait until later in life to make an estate plan. Since it is impossible to know for certain when an individual life will end, waiting to prepare estate planning documents could be a significant mistake. Dying without a last will and...
Single adults will still benefit from an estate plan
Planning for the future is an important step for adults of all ages and income levels, but it is also important for both single and married individuals. You may assume that estate planning is most beneficial for married adults, but this is not necessarily the case....