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Posted in Estate Planning on Oct 19th, 2010
Here is a question posed to me recently, and the answer I provided: Question: My mom passed away over 30 years ago and I have 1 sister and 1 brother and a half sister. My stepmom all of a sudden is in a hurry to adopt when we have lived with her over 30 years. Is there [...]
Posted in Estate Planning, Living Trusts on Aug 25th, 2010
Today’s question and answer came from AVVO.Com. The person, a single parent of one child, had set up her daughter as the Pay-On-Death beneficiary of her bank accounts. Now she wanted to figure out a way of transferring her homes to the daughter without making a trust. My advice to her follows. Q: if a [...]
Posted in Conservatorships, Estate Planning, Planning for Incapacity on Aug 5th, 2010
Everyone should have an Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD) that designates an agent to act on your behalf if you are unable to make your own health care decisions. The agent can then consent to surgery on your behalf or “pull the plug” or keep you alive if you are in a persistent vegetative state. [...]
Posted in Estate Planning, Guardianship, New Parents on Jun 24th, 2010
Your California will should NOT be notarized. If it is a formal will it needs to be witnessed by at least two witnesses. Despite the fact that 60% of Americans don’t have a basic will, they are very useful documents! In addition to dictating where your property is to go when you die, and nominating an [...]
Posted in Estate Planning, New Parents on Jun 21st, 2010
Working near USMC Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, I sometimes receive questions from military families. Here’s one I got today: “My daughter has her biological father’s last name, but he isn’t on her birth certificate. He isn’t involved in her life. My husband wants to adopt her but we’re not sure what all we have [...]
Posted in Estate Planning, Living Trusts, Planning for Incapacity on Jun 10th, 2010
This guide provides a list of the typical documents that make up a California estate plan. Costs for this plan vary from attorney to attorney, as well as on the complexity and size of the estate. 1. Revocable Living Trust A living trust, also known as a Revocable Living Trust or a Family Trust, is [...]
Posted in Estate Planning, Planning for Incapacity on Jun 7th, 2010
Listed are the top five concerns of the typical estate planning client. 1. Minor Children Parents of minor children want to make sure that responsible parties are prepared to step in and raise their children if they cannot. They will want to appoint a Guardian of the Person and a Guardian of the Estate, who [...]
Posted in Estate Planning, Trust Administration on Apr 26th, 2010
A ‘testamentary trust’ is a will that directs the creation of a trust, either explicitly or because the terms of the will can’t be carried out immediately. In California, beneficiaries under a trust are entitled to annual accountings from the trustee (usually the executor of the will) unless the terms of the will stated otherwise.
Posted in Daniel Printz, Estate Planning on Mar 22nd, 2010
A new baby comes home with a host of legal and financial decisions to be made. University of San Diego faculty member Daniel K. Printz and financial planner Kristin Barron will present “A Parent’s Guide to Wills, Trusts, and Financial Planning” on Saturday, April 17, at 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Scripps Coastal Medical Group [...]
Posted in Estate Planning, Living Trusts on Feb 4th, 2010
When should I review or update my Trust? You should review your estate planning documents periodically. If it is not up to date when you die, your estate may not be distributed as you wish. Your Trust can be changed through an Amendment, a legal document that must be drafted and executed with the same procedure [...]
