Can Your Spouse Inherit If You Are Separated?
If you are separated from your spouse, it could impact who inherits your estate. The law in California says that depending on the circumstances, your spouse may still be entitled…
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Power of Attorney v. Health Care Directive: What’s the Difference?
When working on your estate plan, you may hear the terms “power of attorney” and “health care directive”. These two terms mean slightly different things, and you should be familiar…
Can Children of Unmarried Parents Inherit in California?
If you are a parent who is not legally married to the other parent of your children, you may wonder if your children can inherit from you. California has various…
Own a Small Business? Why You Need an Estate Plan
If you own a small business, you need an estate plan to help you prepare for a time when you cannot make decisions about the business and your personal life.…
Estate Planning for “Digital Assets”
In the 21st century, nearly all Californians have some kind of digital asset – an email account, text messages, online banking, or social media postings, to name a few. When planning…
IRAs and Estate Planning: The Basics
When planning for retirement using IRAs or other savings tools, keep in mind the goals of your estate plan. Your beneficiary designation for your IRA could lead to a significant…
Life Insurance: Is It Right for You?
For those beginning to plan for retirement, life insurance often seems like an attractive option. Before you fill out the application and begin paying premiums for years, determine whether to…
Estate Planning When You Have No Heirs
If you believe that you have no close relatives, you may wonder why and how to do estate planning. First, just about everybody has heirs, but you may have heirs…
What Does the New Tax Law Mean by “Estate Tax Portability”?
If you have been following the news surrounding the new tax law, you may have heard the term “estate tax portability”. In short, estate tax portability refers to the ability…
Starting a Family? Start an Estate Plan
If you are starting a family by getting married or having children, now is a great time to start an estate plan. Estate planning can protect your spouse or partner…
Ways to Incorporate Charitable Giving into Your Estate Plan
Whether you benefited from a charity’s services in the past or you just want to pay it forward, you can incorporate charitable giving into your estate plan. Charitable giving is…
How Will the Gift Tax Impact Your Estate Plan?
The federal gift tax affects your estate plan because the amount of your lifetime gifts reduces your estate tax exemption. Your lifetime giving and your estate planning for gifts after…
