Many potential clients I meet with tell me that they are “not ready” to create a will yet. For one reason or another, they are not able to commit to a decision. It is this mentality that keeps them from creating any sort of estate... Continue
Sonoma Sun
The simplest estate plans to create are those where a married couple has adult children and everyone gets along. The scheme is usually straight forward – all to the surviving spouse and then to the kids equally with one of the children acting as successor... Continue
One often overlooked area of estate planning is your custodial accounts: individual retirement accounts (IRAs); 401(k)s, etc.; life insurance; annuities and pensions. Many estate planners don’t pay attention to them because what happens to the money in these accounts is not dictated by the usual... Continue
It’s important to choose your beneficiaries wisely and not allow your estate planning attorney to make basic assumptions about who they will be. Attorneys will ask who you’d like to inherit your property and most will ask you to name a second beneficiary in case... Continue
As part of my estate planning practice I often review people’s existing estate plans as well as create new ones. People often ask me to review one particular document such as a will or trust or even their entire existing estate plan. In reviewing these... Continue
On January 1, 2013, both the Senate and House passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA). For estate taxes (death taxes), ATRA included a five million dollar (with indexed increases) exclusion amount for gift and estate taxes, and they’re permanent. Well, permanent until... Continue