Proposition 19 amends the current legislation adopted in Propositions 13 and 58. It allows qualifying owners (over 55 years of age, physically disabled or natural disaster victims) to move into a house of lesser value up to three times in the State and to carry their lower property tax assessments. This is great news for […]

Many of us are looking forward to turning the page on 2020. Though it may be easy to focus on the low points of 2020, the low points hopefully come with a silver lining: a renewed focus on what is really important to us. If there ever was a time to focus on New Year’s

After a loved one passes away, one of the biggest obstacles families face is passing wealth onto the next generation. Unfortunately, family dynamics can spur conflict and infighting among children and other family members. No matter how well you work on your estate planning your family can still make things difficult. One of the hardest parts

With all the extracurricular activities that we are partaking in during this pandemic: bike riding, quilting, bread baking, and reading, there is one more that you should consider. Right now add setting up your living will and trust has been added to the list of items that have become more popular during the pandemic. During

Death or incapacity can creep up on anyone. If you’re not prepared, your family could bear a heavier burden when handling your estate or financial affairs. Here are five tips to help everyone lighten the load. Create an Estate Plan One of the most important things you can do to get your affairs in order

An advance directive is a legal document that allows you to proactively make certain choices about your medical decision making and end-of-life care prior to a crisis. An advance directive allows you to tell your loved ones and health care professional in writing who you want to make medical decisions on your behalf; who you

More than half of Americans over the age of 55 do not have an estate plan in place. Even more troubling, only 18% of people over the age of 55 have all of the recommended legacy documents, including a last will and testament, health care directive, and statutory durable power of attorney. So, what are

Attorneys these days are connecting with clients via video conference realms like Zoom or Skype in the comfort of their own home. The basic estate planning documents that clients want to discuss are: a trust to name who should inherit their property, a durable power of attorney that assigns an agent to make financial decisions for

Often estate planning focuses on the “big picture” issues, such as who gets what, how to avoid probate, and tax planning to minimize gift and estate taxes. Often, there are many smaller issues, which are just as critical to the success of your overall estate planning. Below are some of the issues that are often

In the United States, 75% of Living Trusts will be totally ineffective when the Trust creator dies. Why? Most people have and create a living will and trust in lieu of traditional Wills to dispose of their estate because they have been promised that a Trust avoids probate. Well, that’s partly true. In fact, a