Estate planning is a process that addresses death and personal vulnerability. People in a variety of different circumstances may need to address their own mortality. Business owners and those with substantial personal resources may feel compelled to establish estate...
Estate planning
Safeguarding generational wealth when estate planning
Building generational wealth is a significant achievement. Understandably, preserving it for future generations requires careful estate planning. Without a solid plan, wealth accumulated over a lifetime can quickly diminish due to taxes, legal disputes, mismanagement...
What should you think about when creating an estate plan?
Estate planning is something that many adults know they should handle, but that they often put off as long as possible. The fact is that if you need to create an estate plan, you should get it done as soon as possible. If you’re embarking on the estate planning...
3 common reasons people add trusts to their estate plans
Some people have very basic estate planning needs. They may only require a will to allocate their property to others and name people they trust to handle certain tasks after their passing. Other times, people have more complex financial and family situations that make...
How California fights undue influence on estate planning
Property rights don't instantly end when someone dies. Technically, individuals retain certain property rights even after their death, as they can leave behind documents describing what they believe should happen with their most valuable property. The decision to...
What happens if someone dies in California without a will?
Most adults, especially those with children, readily acknowledge the importance of estate planning. However, the vast majority of those adults have likely procrastinated thus far. Only about one out of three adults has an estate plan on record. The other two-thirds...
The most common estate planning mistake involving life insurance
Life insurance provides peace of mind for a policyholder and practical support for grieving loved ones in the wake of a policyholder’s death. Parents, spouses and those with major student loan debts often choose to purchase life insurance to protect the people that...
Additions to the family and estate plan changes
Estate planning can encompass many different matters related to finances and healthcare. To avoid probate problems in California courtrooms, an estate planner might carefully look over their assets and decide what to leave their beneficiaries. Estate plans could be...
Estate planning and your family home
Your California family home not only represents a good portion of your wealth but also provides you with a place to live as you grow older. You may want to pass this asset on to your children or other heirs or use the property to finance your long-term care in your...
Estate planning for California grandparents
Estate planning is a critical step for anyone who wants to ensure that their assets are distributed according to their wishes after they pass away. For California grandparents, estate planning is important, as they may have specific goals and concerns they need to...