Tonight one of my clients is close to death, at home with hospice oversight and 24-hour care, and her daughter is feeling the stress of the unknown. What will she have to do when the time comes? Here are the immediate steps one might have to take if a loved one dies at home.  … Read More


Deciding whether to purchase a living trust is difficult. You want to protect your assets for your beneficiaries. In evaluating attorneys or trust companies, try to stick to the facts and be wary of exaggerated claims about their products.  You want to be able to trust your lawyer, and know that they aren’t trying to… Read More


This morning the U. S. Supreme Court ducked the question of whether same-sex couples have a right to civil marriage under the U. S. Constitution. However, it did so in a way that will uphold a decision by a California District Court that the ban on same-sex marriage under Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. So… can gays… Read More


What should I do before I file for divorce? What estate planning changes should I make? Can I revoke our family trust? Do I need permission from my wife to change beneficiaries? Can I make a new will without my husband?   These are questions I hear from clients referred to me by family law… Read More


The trust document covers only things that are put into the trust. The will covers anything that is not in trust, and not in a designated-beneficiary account like life insurance or retirement accounts.… Read More


A Living Estate is what we own while we are alive. All of those things that go into your financial junk drawer: your cash, real property, vehicles, jewelery, 401K accounts, etc., are part of your living estate.… Read More


Sometimes people ask me, “Why should I get a will?” Here are some answers to common questions about that most basic estate planning document, the last will and testament.… Read More


It’s very important that non-married persons, either same-sex or opposite-sex couples, do basic estate planning! Here is a question recently posed by someone who was promised the world but left with nothing, along with my answer: Question: If I share a home with my partner for over 20 years, and helped pay for upkeep and… Read More