Reverse mortgages have become extremely popular in California and especially in San Diego communities with a large senior population such as Rancho Bernardo, Poway, Ramona, and Oceanside. If you have a reverse mortgage already or are thinking about getting one, useful information about reverse mortgages is available fromthe U.S. Dept.…
In San Diego many people are going “green” – trying to conserve our planet’s resources and natural environment for the next generation. Now there is growing trend toward “green burials” where the body is returned to the earth to decompose. No chemicals are used to embalm the body and it…
New facilities are springing up all over the county for seniors in such areas as Escondido, Encinitas, San Marcos, and Vista. Some facilities have a resort type atmosphere and some even specialize in dementia and Alzheimer care. You can obtain a directory of senior facilities for assisted living, independent, and…
At our web site, you can read about the various ways to accomplish charitable giving. You can use a bequest in your will or trust or one of the various types of charitable trusts such as a charitable remainder trust or a charitable lead trust. At Law Office of Scott…
If you die in San Diego without a will or a trust, you are deemed to have died “intestate”. To die “intestate” means to die without a “testament” (a will) or a trust and your estate will have to go through the probate process where the Probate Court will determine…
More and more families in San Diego county are “blended families” (families that include children from previous marriages or relationships). It is estimated that 50% of first marriages end in divorce and that there are now more “blended families” in the county than traditional families. Blended families face a number…
Once you create a revocable living trust your job as the creator (often called the Trustor or Settlor of the trust) is to properly fund the trust initially and thereafter see that all the assets that should be placed in your trust are properly titled. Once you pass away, the…
The movie The Bucket List recently came out in San Diego on DVD. This movie shows an unlikely pair of cancer patients (Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson) who compose a list of things they want to do before they die (places to visit, things they want to accomplish before they…
In the South Bay communities of Chula Vista, National City, and San Ysidro, as well as elsewhere in San Diego County, there are many individuals who have spouses that are not U.S. citizens. Such couples have different estate planning concerns than those where both spouses are citizens. In California when…
Recently the San Diego Union reported the story of a cat named Teila living out her days on the grounds of the National Cat Protection Society in Spring Valley. This shelter opened in Spring Valley in 1975 but in 2000 a “retirement center” was built complete with a playroom, bedroom…