It’s always interesting to see what famous people have done for their estate plans. The first three Presidents of the United States died with very diverse estates and wills. George Washington had a blended family. He married Martha who was a widow with two children. George and Martha never had…
Scientists are studying how caregivers deal with people who have dementia, focusing on what they can do rather than what they’ve lost. A study by a speech professor at Ohio State University, who is studying communication with dementia patients, showed that making memory flashcards helps Alzheimer patients remember. A caregiver…
Today there are many options for people to choose as to how their loved ones should handle the disposition of their remains. Cremation is on the rise. In 1999 only 25% of Americans were cremated. In 2009, the percentage rose to 37%. It is estimated that by 2025, 60% of…
The Wall Street Journal recently had a good article with Seven Smart Money Tips to get the most for your holiday bucks. Some of the tips relate to estate planning. Tip #1 – Set a gift budget Rather than just go blindly to the mall and start buying, set a…
What happens when someone dies and they have property in California but the decedent can’t be found? Sometimes people go missing and are never found. Sometimes it is asssumed that someone has died in an aviation accident with no remains found. Sometimes even criminals suddenly disappear with a suitcase full…
As we draw closer to the end of the year, Congress is working to resolve the issue of tax cuts and the federal estate tax exemption. Within the last few days, President Obama announced that the administration and the Republicans had arrived at a proposal for a bipartisan agreement that…
Our San Diego probate court hears litigation arising out of probate and trust disputes but nothing like the billions of dollars which are at stake in a probate court dispute over comic book characters. You’ve no doubt heard of such comic book icons are Iron-Man, X-Man, Spider Man, the Incredible…
From time to time it is fun to look back on what are some of the strangest bequests people have put in their estate planning documents. 1. An eccentric lawyer named Charles Vance Miller, a resident of Canada, was noted for his practical jokes. He left a large sum of…
After the death of a loved one, the individual named in the decedent’s trust who will administer the trust and distribute the trust assets is the successor trustee. A successor trustee has a number of fiduciary duties. Some of these duties are the duty of loyalty, duty to avoid conflicts…
There are a number of legislative proposals affecting probate and trust law suggested by the California State Bar for possible introduction in the California legislature next year. One proposal is to broaden who has the right to control the disposition of remains. This proposal would add the conservator of the…