Many of us in the San Diego area start the New Year by resolving to lose weight, quit smoking, or spend more time with family. The top New Years’s Resolutions are: • Stop smoking or drinking • Increase physical fitness • Lose weight • Reduce stress at home or on…
Articles Posted in LIVING TRUSTS
Valuable Information to Protect Your Deceased Loved One From Identity Theft
Earlier this month we posted a blog about identity theft during the hollidays. Malls in North County, South Bay, Carlsbad, and Mission Valley are targets for pick pockets and thieves who look to steal purses. But did you know that even deceased persons can be victims of identity theft? The…
Where Do Trusts Come From?
Many people in San Diego make revocable living trusts the primary feature of their estate plan. You may wonder where the idea of a trust came from. Trusts haven’t just been popular in the last century. Trusts are quite old. Plato back in 400 B.C. used a trust to finance…
New Law in 2009 Will Protect Pet Trusts
This summer Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill which will protect pet trusts. The bill (SB 685) makes pet trusts enforceable. The bill was supported by the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) which estimates that over half of American families have at least one pet. The bill…
Avoiding Will and Trust Litigation
The San Diego Probate Court has many cases involving will and trust litigation. Wills and trusts can become the subject of litigation even when prepared by an experienced estate planning attorney. Issues which can become the subject of a will contest or trust litigation can be issues relating to the…
Help is a Click Away!
If you live in San Diego, there is a lot of free information available to you on a variety of legal issues. Here are some “clicks’ that may answer many questions you have: 1. Our website at Law Office of Scott C. Soady, A Professional Corporation has many articles in…
What to Do When the First Spouse Passes Away?
There are many different types of trusts which San Diego couples may create as the cornerstone of their estate plan. Prior to 2000 when the exemption for estate taxes was $650,000 many couples had A/B trusts prepared. These were also called Bypass Trusts, Marital Trusts, or Exemption Trusts. These types…
Useful Information When Traveling Abroad
San Diego is home to many retirees and others who love to travel. The U.S. Dept. of State has useful information about traveling abroad. At their website you can access information about passports, registering your travel abroad, taking medicines on your trip, customs and import information, and immunizations required for…
Sarah Palin’s Son Trig Raises Public Awareness about Special Needs Children
Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s 5 month old son who has Down Syndrome has caused an increase in public awareness about children with special needs. Special needs children are those that need extra care whether because of a developmental disability, autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, or other physical or mental…
Why Can’t You Draft Your Own Estate Planning Documents?
The simple answer is “you can” but why would you want to? You may have seen the commercial on TV where a man is on the phone with his doctor who is telling him how to operate on himself and the man says “shouldn’t you be doing this?” There are…