Modern Estate Planning Blog

If you are like most older people, you have lived a long and fulfilling life, and have probably collected items during that journey that have become very sentimental to you.

"We have been working on funding our trust and changing beneficiaries of our IRAs. Our new IRA custodian says that we should name our spouses as beneficiaries first and the Trust second. Otherwise, the custodian says that we’ll suffer a big tax hit upon death. This is contrary to the instructions you gave us."

It involves trying to figure out if your loved one’s employers offered any type of benefit to the surviving spouse or children upon death.

If you are in need of some free legal advice, I want to invite you to attend one of the many public workshops I will be speaking at over the next month.

As a will lawyer in Sacramento, I often hear from clients that finding out what benefits are available under insurance policies and retirement accounts was one of the most difficult tasks in closing out their loved one’s estate.

As an elder attorney in Sacramento, it is important to be aware of the nursing home options available to clients, as well as any changes in laws that apply to this type of care.

Before your son or daughter packs up for summer vacation or even their first semester of college, I want you to think about what it means having a child who is an “adult” in the eyes of the law.

Contrary to popular belief, a person’s debt is not automatically canceled out upon their passing. As you will soon find out, all outstanding bills will eventually need to be paid out of the decedent’s estate.

"I just created a revocable trust and was trying to change the ownership on my investment account and the company said they don’t let trusts own the accounts. What now?"

In continuing our series on the important steps to take after the death of a loved one, one of first things you must take care of is making sure your loved one’s home is safe from the threat of theft or vandalism.

A common misconception is that Social Security will automatically be notified once a person passes away. There is also a misconception that any benefits falsely issued after death can be collected by family members until the funds are officially shut off.

"When my husband and I bought our house recently our real estate agent asked us how we wanted to hold title – as joint tenants or community property. What is the difference and what is the best way for a married couple to take title?"

As a Gold River Probate Attorney, I know that handling the legal end of a loved one’s death can seem nearly impossible, especially when you are grieving.

As a Sacramento special needs attorney, I wanted to highlight that April is Autism Awareness Month, which seeks to educate the public about the needs and challenges facing those with autism spectrum disorders.

I’ve heard the term power of attorney, but I’m not sure what that is. Are there different types?

Unfortunately, life doesn’t stop moving once a loved one passes away and there are certain steps you must take almost immediately after the funeral.

As a Sacramento estates lawyer, I know that far too many area parents set themselves up for a devastating situation by not having the right emergency plans in place should the unthinkable occur.

As a Sacramento elder lawyer, I know how common it is for each generation to avoid planning for their deaths and long-term care needs.

It’s bad enough that you have to think about death when planning your estate, but what’s worse are all of these hardly-pronounceable words of which you have no idea what they mean. Beneficiary? Fiduciary? Revocable Living Trusts?

"To avoid probate, I’m thinking of adding my married son on the deed to my house as a joint tenant with right of survivorship. When I die does my house become community property with his wife or does he inherit it alone? In case of divorce would his wife have any claim on the house?"