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Protect Your Loved Ones with a Revocable Living Trust

Back in 2014 I met with Sam Jones (name changed to protect client’s confidentiality) at a local senior center where I volunteer once a month. Sam’s wife recently passed away and Sam was concerned about what would happen to his assets after he passed away. Sam has four children, Sally, Sandy, Scott, and Sam Jr. Sam’s biggest concern was that when he passed away the family home that he and his wife had worked so hard to pay off would have to go through probate. [...]

April 19th, 2017|Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Resources|
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Pet Trusts in California

Pet Estate PlanningDo you love your pet? Do you consider your pet to be part of your family? Are you concerned about what will happen to Fluffy or Fido if anything happens to you? If your answer to any of these questions is "yes," please read this blog and learn more about how you can create a pet trust to insure that the people you want will care for your pet when you can no longer do so.What is a pet trust?It is a legally [...]

April 10th, 2017|Estate Administration, Estate Planning|
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Estate Planning for Same Sex Couples

Learn more about Estate Planning for Same Sex Couple and why it is important to have an estate plan in place.Proper estate planning by same sex couples will ensure their assets will go to whom they want, their estate will be managed by who they want, and in the event they are incapacitated, their medical decision and financial matters will be handled by the person they want.  It is very important that every member of the LGBTQ community, whether registered domestic partners or not, creates [...]

July 25th, 2016|Estate Planning, LGBTQ Estate Planning, Videos|
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Why Estate Planning is Important

If you have not taken the time to plan your estate, you are not alone. Many people avoid estate planning because they see it as an unpleasant task. Having an estate plan in place will ensure that your property is distributed according to your wishes and that any taxes, fees, and costs (there are always taxes, fees and costs) involved in settling your estate can be minimized.

September 28th, 2015|Estate Planning|
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Protect Your Assets with a Living Trust

Estate planning is one of the most important things you can do to protect your assets. When planning your estate, the best way to protect your assets is with a Living Trust. A Living Trust allows you to protect your assets from the unnecessary delays, costs and hassles of probate.

August 23rd, 2015|Estate Planning|
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Avoiding Probate with Beneficiary Designation

Avoiding probate does not have to be complicated or expensive. There are simple steps you can take to ensure that certain assets pass to the people you chose without going through probate.  One of the easiest ways to avoid probate is to have the money in your bank accounts, retirement accounts and investment accounts automatically transfer to the beneficiary or beneficiaries of your choice after you pass away by filling out simple beneficiary designation forms with your bank and financial institution.Pay-on-Death (POD) Bank AccountsPay-on-death (POD) [...]

June 9th, 2014|Estate Administration, Estate Planning|
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Living Trusts Versus Wills

Clients often ask me “what is the difference between a basic will and a revocable living trust?”  And they also ask “which one do I need?”  It is important to know the differences between a revocable living trust and a will.  Not everyone needs a living trust.Revocable living trusts and basic wills both allow you to name beneficiaries to receive your property after you pass away.  They are useful estate planning devices for different purposes.  The most important difference is that a living trust allows [...]

April 6th, 2014|Estate Planning|
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