There are a number of estate planning methods to transfer assets outside of the normal probate process. For instance, the California Uniform TOD Security Registration Act allows the owner of securities, such as corporate stocks, to designate a beneficiary who assumes ownership upon his or her death. This transfer occurs…
There are some estate planning situations in which you may want to protect a family member’s potential inheritance from his or her creditors. For example, many trusts contain what is known as a “spendthrift clause,” which restricts a beneficiary’s access to the trust principal. In other words, the trustee maintains…
There are many stories about people who make unusual bequests in their last will and testament. Perhaps the strangest story involved a wealthy Portuguese aristocrat who passed away several years ago at the age of 42. The man was unmarried and had no children. But he did leave a will,…
Many younger people think they do not need to concern themselves with making a last will and testament. A will is something that older people make when they are in poor health or even on their deathbed, right? Of course, that is ludicrous thinking. Every day we see reports of…
Many people pledge money to charity as part of their estate planning. In California, charitable pledges are generally not enforceable in court unless the donor receives some consideration, thereby creating a binding contract. For example, if a college offers to name a building after you in exchange for your gift,…
For many of us the “paperless office” is a reality. Our personal and professional lives reside online through our laptops, smart phones, and cloud storage. But what does this mean for our estate planning? An article on CNBC.com discussed the growing popularity of “digital document archives,” which offer specialized cloud…
Death does not automatically void any debts owed by the deceased. In the normal course of administering an estate, the personal representative named in the decedent’s last will and testament is responsible for paying any valid creditor claims presented. Indeed, once a person has died, a creditor may only enforce…
In a recent post we discussed how Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid system, can go after the assets of a deceased beneficiary recipient’s probate estate or revocable living trust for reimbursement of medical costs paid during the person’s lifetime. There is some good news for future Medi-Cal beneficiaries and their potential heirs.…
An essential function of the personal representative of a probate estate is to identify and inventory the estate’s assets. Keep in mind, an estate’s assets at death may not be limited to property and funds in possession of the decedent at the time of death. If the decedent was a…
Under California law, “Unless a trust is expressly made irrevocable by the trust instrument, the trust is revocable by the settlor.” This means that if you make a living trust as part of your estate plan, you are free to amend or revoke the trust at any time. You may,…