Estate planning lawyers in Encino are most often considered by folks who are wanting to put their end-of-life affairs in order. The lawyer helps them to draw up important documents such as powers of attorney and medical directives, as well as to develop a plan for how...
Helping You Protect Your Loved Ones And Your Legacy
Finance
Financial Self-Protection Tips for the Newly Single
Whether you have a lost a spouse or partner through divorce or death, being thrust into singlehood can be an emotionally and financially jarring experience. To get yourself back on firm footing, at least financially, follow these five steps: Finalize financial...
Social Security Survivors Benefits
An earlier issue of The ElderCounselor addressed social security benefits generally and when to apply. In this issue, we will address the critical yet often-misunderstood topic of Social Security survivor benefits. This e-newsletter is based in part upon an article by...
How to Prepare Your Heirs to Receive, Protect and Grow Their Inheritance
When we think of vast family wealth, most of us know the name Cornelius Vanderbilt, the railroad and shipping scion of one of the richest families in America in the 19th century. When he died in 1877, he left a fortune of $100 million — more than the U.S. Treasury...
Another Actor’s Estate Plan Screwed Up By His Lawyer
Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman’s will has been filed for probate and provides a cautionary tale when it comes to estate planning mistakes. Here are four things he could have done to correct them: Create a Revocable Living Trust. Hoffman was a public...
What a Will WON’T Do
There are a number of essential things a last will and testament can do for you, such as distribute family heirlooms and name a guardian for minor children, but there are some equally important things a will won’t do: Diminish estate taxes – a will won’t help you...
When It Comes to Inheritance, Treating Children Equally Not Always the Best Plan
While most parents have the inclination to treat all their children equally when it comes to an inheritance, I know that this is not always the wise choice. Here are some scenarios when an unequal distribution may be better: Children of unequal wealth – If you have...
The Value of Using Irrevocable Trusts in Medicaid Planning
People often wonder about the value of using irrevocable trusts in Medicaid planning. Certainly gifting of assets can be done outright, not involving an irrevocable trust. Outright gifts have the advantages of being simple to do with minimal costs involved, including...
A Hypothetical… But It Does Happen
Today we’re going to discuss a situation that happens all the time. It’s a situation that almost nobody thinks about, unless you’re an estate planning attorney, but it does occur often enough to talk about. Consider the following hypothetical: A woman, let’s call her...
Who Cares For Ya, Baby? (Client Care Program Information)
If you are too young to remember Kojak’s (Telly Savalas’ tv series) famous line, “Who loves ya, Baby?” then, you may not get my question, but no matter.. . It’s a quote just too fitting for me to let you know about our improved Client Care Membership Program. (It’s...
