Do you worry about the best way to provide for your loved ones after you pass away? You are certainly not alone in this. Sometimes, providing for loved ones through an estate plan is not as simple as leaving behind a lump sum inheritance. Some people, for a variety of reasons, may not be best…
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What Should You include in Your Living Will?
A will is often a prominent feature in an estate plan. Lesser known, but still very important in estate planning, is a living will. A living will and a will are two very different legal tools. Their similarities seemingly end at their names and the fact that both should be included in a strong, comprehensive…
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Should I Update My Estate Plan After Remarrying?
Have you or your family experienced a major life event recently? Has someone gotten married? Had a baby? Has someone passed away? When big things happen in life, it can often change your plans for the future. This means it is usually time when you need to go and update your estate plan. You see,…
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Using a Prenuptial Agreement as an Estate Planning Tool
A prenuptial agreement is a kind of contract entered into by two people with upcoming nuptials. The agreement often addresses property rights prior to entering into marriage. While prenuptial agreements can accomplish much more than people might first consider, one often understated, but potentially highly important, benefit of a prenuptial agreement can be what it…
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How Can the Portability of the Estate Tax Exemption Impact You?
Estate planning involves an overlap with many different types of law. For instance, tax law can be a prominent component of estate planning. While not all states have an estate tax, there is still the federal estate tax to consider. Without proper planning, more sizeable estates risk losing a significant amount of value to taxation….
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What Is Considered Tangible Property in an Estate Plan?
Some people operate under the misunderstanding that they do not need to estate plan because they really do not own anything of value. First of all, estate planning is much more than how you want things of value distributed upon your death. Second of all, when you really consider things you “own” that would be…
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What Kind of Trusts Can I Use in My Estate Plan?
Estate planning is so important for a number of reasons. With the proper legal tools in place, you can find peace of mind and a sense of control in an otherwise uncertain future. While many people think of a will when estate planning is brought up, it is about so much more than that. Trusts,…
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What Is an Advance Directive?
Did you know that there is much more to estate planning than wills and planning for death? Estate planning also involves planning for the unforeseeable and unpredictable things life can throw our way. For instance, it involves planning for incapacitation. No one is immune from the unpredictable and planning for incapacitation can not only bring…
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Homestead Exemption
t is always an unexpected pleasure when amendments to government statutes provide benefits instead of increased costs. Fortunately, as of January 1, 2021, this has happened relative to homestead exemptions in California. The plan used previously has been replaced by a more sensible one with several advantages to homeowners. Nonetheless, as is typically the case,…
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What Is the SECURE Act?
This year, a very important piece of legislation was signed into law. The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (the SECURE Act) was passed by the House of Representatives in July of 2019. It was later approved by the Senate in December of the same year as part of a year-end…
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