Creating an estate plan is a responsible step to take as you age. However, to ensure that your estate plan remains legally binding and represents your wishes, you must ensure you aren’t making some of the most common mistakes. Knowing what the mistakes are is the...
Most adults know that they need to have an estate plan in place. What many don’t realize is that having powers of attorney designations is also important in estate planning. Most people need two of these designations – one for their health care and another for...
When you die with a will, it must be legally verified before execution. The entire process of administering your estate before passage to the beneficiaries is known as probate. A lot goes on during the probate process, and it can take time to finalize. Usually, the...
If you have a loved one with special needs, you should tailor your estate plans to protect their interests. Leaving them their share of your estate through a will, or in the hands of their siblings may not be the best way to go about it. A lot could go wrong, such as...
There are numerous legal and financial obligations that arise during estate administration. The personal representative of the estate must notify creditors about probate proceedings and resolve someone's financial liabilities with estate assets. They will also need to...
Your California estate plan can be as simple or complicated as you want to make it. The more family members and assets you have to consider, the more involved your plan might become. For many people in California, a simple will is not adequate for their estate...
A quick search on the internet will bring up a variety of “do it yourself” estate planning websites. While you might be tempted to use a site like this to make your final plans, you could run into some serious problems. You could end up leaving out some very...
Estate planning is one of those things that everyone should do in order to ensure that their wishes are carried out when they pass away. Unfortunately, many people don’t know where to begin or simply don’t want to deal with making plans for their future heirs. They...
When someone dies in California, both their personal property and their debts become part of their estate. What happens to those assets depends on the circumstances of the testator when they died, the instructions in their estate plan and California state law. The...
A will is an important document in which you are able to specify what you want to be done with your estate upon your passing. From time to time, it’s a good idea to review it and make changes to reflect the current circumstances of your life. Anytime you experience a...