Modern Estate Planning Blog

I have been wanting to file for conservatorship of my mother. She has Alzheimer’s. She was diagnosed four years ago and is not mentally aware enough to change her Power Of Attorney, which was set in 1992.

As an estate planning lawyer in Gold River, I’ve witnessed first-hand how disability, incapacity and the natural affects of aging prevent people from taking care of their financial and personal affairs each and every day.

Have you ever wondered what would happen to all of the pictures and precious memories stored on your Twitter or Facebook pages after you die?

As a Sacramento will and trust attorney I hear the same things over and over…. I don’t have an “estate.” I have more debt than assets…. or The only thing I own is my home.

What happens when there are no family members or friends who can be appointed a conservator of a friend or loved one?

Choosing your funeral home and making your arrangements so that your loved ones won’t have to really shows that you care about them.

A qualified Sacramento wills and trusts attorney can help sort out the requirements and ensure that your estate planning best reflects your wishes.

So, you’ve just finished your estate plan and you’ve got your binder safely tucked away. You feel confident now that if something happens to you everything is set up properly and your family will be secure. Right?

Many clients who seek out estate planning in the greater Sacramento area have concerns when it comes to caring for their pets.

"My 18-year-old son is going to college hours away from me. Eventually, we will be willing to let him take one of the cars down with him. I wondered if we should put the car in his name and have him get his own policy."

While it can be very difficult to discuss death and what would happen to your kids if you were gone, it would be even harder for your surviving family members to deal with this loss in the absence of guidance and clear directions from you.

A springing power of attorney is a durable power of attorney whose powers “spring” into effect only after a predetermined event, such as incapacity or disability.

It’s no secret that the late singer, Amy Winehouse, struggled to keep her personal life together as her fame grew before the public eye. But what Amy did manage to keep in meticulous order though was her estate planning, which ultimately protected her wishes and fortune following her death.

When it comes to estate planning, people generally think about death or taxes. But what people don’t realize is how a Sacramento wills and trust attorney can help you develop the legacy you wish to leave behind.

The word “probate” often conjures visions of lawyers, long waits, loss of inheritance, and many other hassles for heirs of an estate.

Many parents know the importance of making sure they have legal guardians named who could care for their minor children should death or incapacity occur.

One option for making sure that your funeral costs are close to the amount that you want to spend is to give your family a strict budget for things like a casket, cremation, funeral services and burial.

No one likes the idea of leaving their children without a parent, especially when the discussion revolves around planning for an untimely death.

"My sisters and I worry about our elderly parents and a handicapped sister who all live in the same house in Georgia. We have heard that if one or both of our parents have to move to a nursing home the state can take their home to help pay for the cost. Is this true?"

"My elderly, but healthy as of now, parents own a classic car collection with a value of approximately $100,000. They also jointly own their house with a value of $135,000. They have about $150,000 in cash and retirement accounts worth $125,000. What planning can be done now so that these assets may be retained by the family if my parents need to go into a nursing home in the future?"