Adult children are often very interested in what estate planning their parents have done. In some cases, they are worried that the parents do not have an estate plan at all. In other cases, they want to know more about how that plan will affect them. One concern that...
Advance health care directives can help explain an individual's medical preferences. The documents that they draft can guide medical professionals or family members who must make decisions about that person's care. If an adult becomes incapacitated, they may need...
Estate disputes are messy, and they become even more complex when property, heirs or trusts cross state lines. You may face different courts, rules and varying timelines. In the San Francisco Bay Area, families who own homes or investments in more than one state are...
Planning your estate is about more than preparing for the end of life. It is a thoughtful way to protect your family, reduce future stress and make sure your wishes are respected when you cannot speak for yourself. Starting your real estate planning journey early...
Estate plans can address the challenges of advanced age and possible medical emergencies, not just what happens when someone dies. Powers of attorney are among the most valuable estate planning documents, but many people only establish powers of attorney when they...
Creating a trust is a major step in setting up an estate plan. This legal tool allows you to set terms for specific assets to be passed to the beneficiaries you choose. One type of trust that you may establish is an irrevocable trust, which is one that can’t be...
Frequent travel means enjoying new experiences, but it also increases exposure to the risk of sudden illness or incapacitation. If an emergency occurs far from home, who manages your finances? Who makes critical medical decisions? A properly structured estate plan can...
Wills are often the only estate planning instrument a person creates. The document that a testator drafts could have a profound impact on what happens to their property after they pass and what support their loved ones can access. People expecting to inherit from an...
An advance health care directive is a valuable estate planning document. It provides information about an individual's unique medical preferences. Many adults, including those with spouses, might assume that drafting an advance health care directive is unnecessary....
One of the fundamental duties of an estate plan is getting a person’s assets to their beneficiaries after they pass away in the way that they intended. This can be done through the will, but trusts are often used to make the asset transfer process more streamlined. A...
