If you have had a loved one pass away recently, you may know (or received a notice in the mail) that you are a beneficiary of their estate. This simply means that you are a natural heir and/or have been named in the Will or Trust as someone who is set to receive some (or even all) assets from the estate or Trust. In many cases a beneficiary will be a natural heir (someone biologically related to or adopted by the Read More

In most cases, we recommend a trust-based estate plan instead of a will-based plan so that our clients can avoid the cost and hassle of probate. However, there are some situations where our clients do not need a trust to avoid probate because they have a simple estate (no real property, no minor children, not a blended family, etc.) For simple estates, a will-based plan will suffice. On a will-based plan Read More

When a Will is made, someone will need to be named as the executor. This is the person who will be responsible for ensuring the wishes of the deceased will be properly fulfilled. Depending on the size and complexity of the Will, this can be a lot of work that needs to be handled correctly in order to ensure there aren’t any problems. If you have been nominated in a will to be an executor, make sure you take some time Read More

One of the most important estate planning tools is known as the Power of Attorney. This is a tool where you are able to grant another individual or service with the authority to make decisions on your behalf if you are unable. This is very useful for protecting yourself and your estate from what could happen if you are incapacitated for an extended period of time. It can even be set up so the person who is given this Read More

This is the first blog in a series that will cover different aspects of the proposed California Estate Tax. This blog article gives you a little background by first going over the highlights of the Intent and Purpose of S.B. 378, then we break down some of the legalese into Definitions you can understand, and finally we run a simple Example of Cal Taxpayer to give you an idea of how Estate Tax works, first with the Read More

How often are you checking the price of an item on Amazon before buying? Every time? Almost every time? I do. There is no doubt that this buying behavior is becoming the market norm for consumer goods and even for some services where a consumer requests a quote and providers jump in to compete for the business. Just look at the insurance aggregator websites like www.esurance.com or home mortgage websites Read More

If you have had a loved one pass away in the Fresno or Clovis area, their estate may need to pass through the probate courts before being distributed. For many people, this is a frustrating and confusing experience. Understanding how probate court works and making the right decisions each step of the way can really help make the entire process much easier. One important thing to be aware of is that there are two main Read More

If you’ve had a loved one pass away recently, there are likely many thoughts and emotions going through your head. If you have been left out of their Trust or Will, (in this blog we use the term “Will” but the concepts apply to both a Will and a Trust) it can really make the whole experience far more painful and confusing. When people learn that they aren’t listed in the Will of a loved one, they often think that Read More

When someone passes away, their estate often has to go through probate court before it is distributed to their heirs. This particular branch of the court system is one that most people don’t really know too much about, which can make it quite confusing. To make it worse, those who need to go to probate court are typically going to be mourning the loss of a loved one, which can make everything more challenging. Get Read More

When working on your estate plan, you will have lots of different options available for how you plan the future of your estate. There are two types of estate plans: Will-based plans and Trust-based plans. Will based plans include a Durable Power of Attorney, Advance Health Care Directive and a Will. Trust based plans include a Durable Power of Attorney, Advance Health Care Directive, Will, Trust and Trust funding Read More