Our Estate Planning Library Articles

Our legal library contains a variety of articles to help people understand the California estate planning process. Browse through our library to learn about the documents included in an estate plan, how to protect your future health and medical care, and how to ensure that your wealth will be appropriately passed down to your loved ones.

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Leaving Gifts to Grandchildren in California Grandparents often try to help their grandchildren by naming them as beneficiaries in a will. Our lawyers explain why that can cause problems.
The Benefits of California SLATs A SLAT uses estate law and federal gift exemptions to provide a spouse with life-long access to trust assets. Our California estate attorneys explain.
How a California Prenuptial Agreement Could Help Cement Your Legacy Prenuptial agreements are often associated with divorce disputes, but they have the potential to serve as important estate planning devices, too.
Incorporating Collectibles in Your Estate Plan Since the IRS has strict tax rules for inheritable artwork, your estate plan should always account for any valuable collection. Learn more here.
California Uniform Trust Decanting Act California recently enacted the Uniform Trust Decanting Act that allows trustees to transfer trust assets into a new trust with revised terms and conditions.
Protect the Finances of a Loved One After a Dementia Diagnosis California law provides some useful strategies to help a loved one responsibly manage their money even after they have been diagnosed with dementia.
Creating a California Succession Plan for Your Family Home California residents can enact many strategies to leave their family home as an inheritance. However, your decision could have major tax implications.
How DNA Evidence Can Upend Estate Plans The recent popularity of mail-order DNA tests means that previously unknown relations can wreak havoc on unprepared estates. Learn more here.
Navigating Estate Taxes at the State and Federal Level Even though California does not levy state estate taxes, you may still be taxed at the federal level. Learn more here.
Financial Considerations for California Family Caregivers The high costs of long-term care can be financially taxing. Learn what you can do to get compensation while taking care of your loved one.
ABLE Accounts in California An ABLE account can help those with special needs save tax-free money while keeping their benefits, especially when paired with a trust. Learn more here.
Making a Holographic Will Holographic wills can be easy to make, but they have some potential disadvantages. Learn more here.

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Experience and Expertise. Estate planning and post-death administration are all we do. Our attorneys have over 70 years of combined expertise in the field, and three of our attorneys have passed an additional Bar examination and peer review process to become State Bar Certified Specialists in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. Two of our attorneys also have Master’s Degrees in Tax Law, giving us unique insight into how estate tax and income tax will affect your family’s inheritance.
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