Modern Estate Planning Blog

What would happen if the Executor of your will passes away before you do or simply declines the responsibility of administering your estate when called upon? Believe it or not, this happens quite frequently.

Change is an inevitable aspect of your life. Seasons, styles, your likes and dislikes – nothing is immune to time. The same goes for your will.

Trusts, estates, living wills, durable or non-durable power of attorney – all of these terms can seem like a foreign language, especially if you are young and death seems far away.

If you are a young couple with few assets, having a will is probably one of the last things on your mind.

As a lawyer with extensive trust administration experience in Sacramento, I have seen that the death of a loved one, especially if that person is a spouse or parent, is one of the most difficult periods in a person’s life.

"My elderly parents may qualify for the A&A pension benefit. Who do you recommend we contact to help us with the application process and to navigate the Veterans Administration?"

You put a lot of time and thought into planning your estate and creating a sound Last Will and Testament, but let me ask you one important question today: Do your kids or heirs know where it is?

Deciding who will care for your children in the event that you pass away before they turn 18 can be a very difficult decision to make. No one likes to think about an untimely death, and it is especially hard to think about leaving your minor children behind.

"My 80-year-old mom, who is in relatively good health, just filled out an Advance Healthcare Directive at her doctor’s office and named me as her agent. Now what do I do?"

As a trust lawyer in Gold River, I know all parents want to see their children succeed. For most families, this means going to college, getting a good job and creating a happy, healthy family of their own.

As a will lawyer in Gold River, I have unfortunately seen many circumstances where a person goes through the time and expense of having an estate plan done, only to fail to update their beneficiaries on financial or retirement accounts before they pass away.

As a Sacramento trust attorney, I often meet with people who are concerned about their parent’s end of life affairs.

As an estate planning and elder care lawyer in Sacramento, I’m often asked what is the difference between Medicare and Medicaid and how can you best prepare for long-term care.

If you’re like most parents, you probably like to keep your teens on a “need to know basis” — especially when it comes to your finances and the details of your estate.

If you have lost a loved one and are now attempting to close out their estate, we are sorry for your loss and we understand how frustrating the process can be.

You may want to consider naming your favorite charity or organization in your will so you can leave them a portion of your estate once you pass away.

When a loved one passes away, the grief doesn’t go away after the burial. This is especially true for surviving spouses who have most likely spent the majority of their life living with, and caring for the deceased.

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.