Estate planning modifications during a divorce
If you are like most divorcing California residents, you may not likely think about your estate plan as a primary area of focus when you are in the throes of negotiating how you will split your assets and debts, who will have the kids when, and other major decisions....
Your loved ones do not have to go through probate alone
Those in California who create an estate plan to take care of their wishes may not know that even with that in place, probate still happens. It is a process that ensures your wishes take top priority as well as ensuring those who hold claims, like creditors, get their...
Estate planning for business owners
Owning your own business can be both rewarding and challenging. If you have been running your company for a number of years, you probably realize that protecting yourself as well as your accumulating assets becomes increasingly important if you expect to leave...
What happens at your real estate closing?
Finding the California home of your dreams represents only the first step in your home buying process. You must then make a purchase offer and possibly deal with the seller’s counter-offer. You will also need to obtain mortgage financing and possibly have to pay for a...
How are revocable and irrevocable trusts different?
When you begin estate planning in California, one of the first things you likely will want to consider is the establishment of one or more trusts. These legal documents are effective vehicles for managing your financial assets and making sure that those assets and the...
The basics of charitable trusts
Establishing a charitable trust allows you to support a meaningful objective while accessing tax savings. You can create this type of trust either during your lifetime or as part of your estate plan. If you want to donate to an existing charity, read on for answers...
Watch Out! Federal Appeals Court Holds Dynamex Applies Retroactively
As this newsletter has discussed before, last year, the California Supreme Court changed the way employers can identify their workers. In Dynamex v. Superior Court, the California Supreme Court radically altered the test that applies to determine whether a worker must...
Penal Code Penalizes Fraudsters
In California, Penal Code section 496(c) allows for the recovery of not only treble damages (three times the amount of the damages), but also reasonable attorney’s fees and costs as well. Penal Code section 496, while typically utilized as a criminal penalty for theft...
Don’t Take Less Than What You Are Owed From Your Insurance Company
The California wildfires in November 2018 were devastating. Thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed as well as the infrastructure of certain municipalities. More than 18,000 structures were destroyed in the Camp Fire alone making recovery a long and arduous...
What is a dynasty trust?
Time is the only undefeated enemy, and no one lives forever. With careful estate planning in California, however, your wealth may live on and provide for your family for generations to come. One such tool you may employ to help preserve and pass on your assets is a...
