I was just reading about a new California case that cut into the asset protection world a little bit.  It’s the case of Kilker v. Stillman, 2012 WL 5902348 (Cal.App. 4 Dist., Unpublished, Nov. 26, 2012). Asset protection, in most cases, is simply estate or asset planning that happens to include some protection elements to it. […]

Client’s often ignore their timeshare. They typically cost much more than they are worth but you should not ignore them when doing your planning. Failing to properly plan for your timeshare can leave your loved ones with a big pain in the neck… in addition to the ongoing maintenance fees! I deal with dozens of […]

It’s amazing how poorly planned many celebs are. Thomas Kinkade’s estate debacle was yet another in a long line of messed up celebrity estates. The Sacramento Bee has reported that it has been settled privately. Here is a link to the article.

“My brother is taking too long to close my dad’s probate….”  I hear statements like this a lot.  Many times they are correct but many times they are not. The purpose of this post today is to give you 10 things to look for which need to be done for the probate to be closed. […]

I just read this article in the Sacramento Bee that I found interesting.  It focuses on the income tax side and what the two sides are working on in DC. They claim they are close. The bigger question for me, and my clients, is what will the gift and estate tax exemptions be!? I’ll be […]

The new toy, the new tie, the 1/2 day at the spa… they are all soon forgotten. However, do a solid estate plan and the gift will give every year for EVER and that’s a long time!  Tell your kids you have updated your estate plan and if your kids don’t have an estate plan […]

Every lawyer and every law firm does things differently in terms of charging for changes to an existing will or trust. For example, I have heard some lawyers say they will not charge for changes for life. Is that your life or their life, I wonder!? What if they retire next week? Does somebody else […]

I hear this question all the time: “How quickly can I close probate?”  Or they will say, “letters were just issued by the court… so now much longer until probate is over?”  Or, “so my dad just died can we end the probate by next month?” The simple fact is probate is 7 months minimum […]

It can be overwhelming to some to hire an attorney. They don’t even know what will happen at the first meeting. Here are some thoughts so you know what to expect. A few steps: – Pick up the phone and call us for an appointment. – We can usually get you in for an appointment […]

The folks in DC are still twiddling their thumbs, posturing, or just out playing golf!? So nothing new has developed out there and thus the fiscal cliff is coming. The loss of the greatest gift and estate tax exemption of my lifetime is about to sunset into history. Will we look back on 2011 and […]