One of my clients is an avid stamp collector. He has decided that upon his death, his modest collection will go to his granddaughter who grew up learning about and loving his hobby during their summers together. Individuals pass more to their heirs than just real estate and money – a significant portion of wealth more »
The law is full of old rituals that today we would consider ridiculous. For example, in early Bavaria, to convey real property by sale, by gift, or by will, one had to box the ears of young boys to seal the deal. The idea was that by creating a memory of pain in the child, more »
Planning an investment strategy for retirement can be a pleasant diversion. It is often enjoyable to think about being a world traveler with the freedom to pursue hobbies or any of the dozens of options you’ve associated with retirement. The reality is a little different. Once you retire, you’ll need to shift gears to focus more »
Remember when grandma asked you to visit? Some grandchildren in Austria didn’t and Grandma went to extraordinary lengths to keep her family from getting her money. She shredded over $1 million USD right before she died. Not happy to stop at that, she cut up her bank books. According to Forbes, the shredded bits were more »
Planning for what happens after your death is very important. Many people understand how essential it is to create an estate plan, but fail to go far enough. Simply creating a do-it-yourself will, or even going to a lawyer to get a will written, is not necessarily going to be sufficient to protect your assets more »
My profession is estate planning. Clients come to me for help on how to preserve their life’s accumulations of wealth and how to pass it on to their loved ones. What I do for a grandfather and grandmother through legal documents will hopefully convey through transfer of financial assets, a lasting memory of their love more »
Young or old, after the financial devastation of the six months, we have more reasons than ever take a fresh look at our financial and estate plans. Most of us planned for increased financial assets in the future. Very few of us has planned for less money. Those who are retired or plan to be more »
In my experience as an Orange County Probate Lawyer, the vast majority of estates are settled without difficulty. Still about twenty percent of all estates have some type of conflict. These estate conflicts are expensive and directly impact the amount of estate assets, including cash, that pass on to the heirs. Just having an up-to-date more »
On December 29th a California court of appeal upheld a century old law of inheritance. Under the law in intestacy (when you die without a will) your estate is distributed to your “legal heirs” In California if you die “intestate” without a surviving spouse, domestic partner, surviving children or surviving descendents of deceased children, your more »
Over their lives, people tend to accumulate a lot of “stuff”: furniture, clothing, knick-knacks, books, personal collections, etc. And when they die, that stuff gets passed on to their loved ones, taking up space in their garages, looking oddly out of place in their dining rooms, or sitting in storage simply because the heirs can’t more »
After a loved one passes away, the personal representative (fiduciary) on behalf of the estate or trust is responsible for managing the estate and distributing the assets.When the decedent has a valid New York will or trust in place…
Under New York Law, a guardian is a person who has the authority to take care of your minor children if you are unable to as a result of a mental incapacity, illness, disability or you pass away. The legal guardian has the same authority and powers as a parent…
