Should You Have A Will Or A Trust? – This is a question that many people are asking themselves. In our law blog post, we began a discussion comparing wills and trusts, two legal instruments that are available to people conducting their estate planning. Our previous post focused on wills. In this post, we will …. Read More
Should You Have A Will Or A Trust? – A common question from our readers. Most of our readers in Los Angeles and Ventura counties understand that estate planning is important for ensuring that our property is distributed as we wish after death. But for many people, when it comes time to decide how to …. Read More
Besides it being a somewhat uncomfortable subject to think about, many people in Calabasas may be reluctant to take on estate planning because it seems complex. For example, some readers might wonder whether a will or a trust would be a better fit for their goals. More generally, deciding what to leave to whom may …. Read More
Finding the right estate plan might not be easy. More often than not, parents who are preparing for the time after their death seek a will, estate plan, and inheritance agenda that treats each of their children equally, benefitting every son and daughter in the fairest way. However, given the complicated variety of forms that one’s …. Read More
Without question, the issue that has dominated America’s economic debate in the New Year has been the wide-reaching tax compromise reached by Congress and the White House in order to avert the ‘fiscal cliff’ of simultaneous tax hikes and spending cuts. The deal, which was dubbed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, made important …. Read More
Our California readers are no doubt aware that there is barely more than one week left and Congress and the White House have yet to agree on a plan to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. If nothing is done, the Bush era tax cuts will revert to their previous rates and across the board cuts …. Read More
The pets we keep are as varied as are the people of Los Angeles. With that in mind, consider the life span of various types of pets we might have (in years according to the Humane Society): hamster, 1-3 years; goldfish, 5-10; rabbit, 8-12; dog, 10-15; cat, 15-20; horse 40; catfish 60; parrot, 50-80; swan …. Read More
In Los Angles we tend to be trend-setters rather than followers, and it appears that estate planning is no exception. “Spiritual” estate planning is gaining followers, although many are already making their estate planning decisions with this in mind. Just what is spiritual estate planning you may ask? Simply put, spiritual estate planning is making end-of-life and …. Read More
Science and the law sometimes leapfrog over each other. In general, it is the law which strives to keep pace. For example, if a scientist “discovers” a genome, can he or she own it? Recently it was reported that posthumous in-vitro fertilization has led to a new legal wrinkle. If a child is conceived with …. Read More
Many of our social views and opinions are shaped by the times during which we were raised and our young adult years. For example, those who lived through the Great Depression may be thrifty savers for their entire lifetimes, even when there is no longer a need. One difference between generations is the way in …. Read More
