When you write your estate plan, you do it with the best of intentions to make everything easier for your family. Sometimes, it just doesn't work out that way. Instead of helping to guide your loved ones in a sad time, your estate plan could cause family discord if...
Estate planning is one task many people tend to put off indefinitely. When one puts it off for too long and passes away before making a will and other provisions, such as trusts, the probate court distributes the estate's assets in accordance with California's...
Ask a new acquaintance if they have any children, and it isn't unusual to hear answers such as these."I have four children: two two-leggeds and two four-leggeds." "I have three fur babies."Yes, for many people, Fluffy and Fido are their children.We wrote recently in...
There's nothing more important in our lives than our children.There's nothing more important in our death than our children, either. Parents of minor children in California do everything they can to make sure their kids' have the best life possible. A nice environment...
If you are a homeowner, you are likely well aware of all the particular responsibilities that go along with home ownership. In addition to your tax obligations, such as property tax, you also have insurance to think about and consider. One area that homeowners...
You have two grown sons who live near your California home.One of them married a delightful young woman. You consider her the daughter you never had. You know they will be blissfully happy forever. The other son? His marriage is rocky, and you don't think he and his...
That shop you and your friend opened 20 years ago in Northern California has run its course. It was a good, fun and profitable business for the most part, but people just aren't buying your trinkets the way they once did. It's time to renew the lease, but retirement...
As a business owner in California, you're busy thinking about what you need to accomplish today. About taking inventory, or meeting with clients or doing an employee training.Who has time to think about tomorrow - especially the far-off future? When it comes to what's...
Many people do not have adequate estate plans. They often believe that without significant assets, such as a house, there is no need to determine how to divide assets upon death. However, there are numerous benefits when people decide to create estate...
You're young, you say. You haven't saved your first million dollars - or even your first $5,000. You don't need an estate plan, you tell your parents. After all, you're just getting started with this thing called adulting.Think again. Accidents strike the young and...
