A good estate plan considers what will happen to all of your valuable assets. This includes the obvious things like bank accounts, real estate, investments and ownership of a business. But nowadays, many estate planning attorneys are asking their clients what they own on the Internet as well. What happens to your online digital assets matters. A …. Read More
When you hear the phrase “offshore account,” it is likely that your mind immediately conjures up a shady character who is trying to conceal “dirty” money from the government. This is a stereotype in movies; but it also happens in real life. However, that stereotype obscures the fact that offshore accounts can be properly used …. Read More
The rock star Prince once sang, “You don’t have to be rich to be my girl.” You also don’t have to be rich to take advantage of a trust when setting up your estate plan. Though many people believe their assets are not valuable or complex enough to justify using a trust, the fact is …. Read More
Fans of the long-running television sitcom “The Simpsons” may recognize the name Sam Simon. He helped create the series in 1989, and though he left the show in 1993, he is still listed as an executive producer at the end of the credit sequence to this day. That producer credit has allowed him to earn …. Read More
Most parents have disagreements with their adult children sometimes, but only in a relatively few cases do these disputes develop into a full-blown rift. When a parent no longer feels a connection to a child, he or she may wish to exclude that son or daughter from his or her estate plan. Generally, anyone can …. Read More
Parents of disabled children in Los Angeles face unique challenges that may not end when the kids become adults. Their special needs may make it necessary for their parents to continue their role as primary caretakers after they turn 18. But parents cannot take care of their children forever, which is where special needs trusts come in. …. Read More
Ideally, every family in Southern California would be close and loving with each other. In this veritable Garden of Eden, creating an estate plan would be easy. Every parent would draw up a will, trust or combination of the two that would name their children as equal beneficiaries of his or her estate. When the time comes, …. Read More
Unfortunately, even the most well thought out estate planning can lead to conflict after you pass away. A family that normally gets along and has strong bonds can fall apart over accusations that one relative has “cheated” another by manipulating the descedant or falsifying the will or trust. Lengthy, expensive litigation can be the result. …. Read More
When parents in Los Angeles sit down to craft their estate plan, they often do so with their children in mind. Their will or trust may name their children as beneficiaries of their estate, either to provide the kids with financial security while they are young or to give them a leg up when they are adults. …. Read More
