About three months ago a client, Tami, called me in a panic. I was the agent for her first home purchase a few years ago and we’d become friendly –getting together for a glass of wine every few months. It must have been a while since I’d checked in, because I was...
I spend a lot of time walking clients through the creation of their first will. It is a customized process that I tailor to the needs and family structure of each of my clients, but there are some standard provisions that everyone should consider. When you hire an...
Most of my clients create trusts to prevent the government and creditors from siphoning away their hard-earned assets upon their death. Unfortunately, another real risk to your assets is your beneficiaries, the very people to whom you are so generous. A trust can help...
Once a loved one passes away, his or her assets that are placed in a trust must be distributed according to the trust’s terms. Trust beneficiaries often become impatient waiting for distribution and become angry with the trustee. Many people ask why distribution can...
Silicon Valley is famous for creating its tech-centric vocabulary. But the estate planning vernacular makes tech seem simple. When I see new clients for an initial estate planning session, it often feels like I am a translator working to interpret a foreign language,...
Many people procrastinate over arrangements for the succession of their financial legacy and other estate planning concerns. While concerns about the financial investment needed to create an estate plan might provide a motivation for cheap DIY options, these...
Designating beneficiaries seems pretty straightforward. At its core, it is simply the listing of individuals to whom you intend to pass your property and assets. Unfortunately, mistakes involving the designation of beneficiaries are one of the most common that I see....
Estate planning is essential for anyone interested in passing their assets onto his or her loved ones. But for those with children with special needs such as physical or mental disabilities, estate planning can be an even more complex and fraught process, especially...
People in the Bay Area tend to be optimists, especially when it comes to their estate planning. First, they believe that whatever assets they have amassed will last them forever, regardless of what life throws at them. More specifically, they often think that they...
It is extremely difficult to deal with a family member who is struggling with addiction issues. This is particularly true if the family member is an adult child and the parents have had to make fraught decisions regarding whether to help support their child or to cut...