San Francisco Estate And Family Law Blog

Everyone should write a will at some point during their adulthood. Unfortunately, some people never get the chance. If someone dies without a will in California, a judge will ultimately decide who gets their assets. Who gets an individual's estate if they die without...

A charitable trust offers private donors a great deal of flexibility in terms of where their donations will go and in what time frame. If you are considering setting up a charitable trust in California, it's a good idea to start with your goals. A charitable trust is...

Planning your estate in California doesn't have to be a long, tedious experience that you dread for years. If you look at it the right way, estate planning can be a rewarding experience that allows you to plan for the future and protect your family members at the same...

For heterosexual couples, marital presumption of parentage in California is relatively simple: The law assumes that the spouse of a biological mother is also a child's parent. However, the legal application of such laws can be unclear for same-sex couples. If you're...

As many California residents experienced a significant drop in income in 2020 along with the uncertainty over estate tax rates in the coming years, some have begun to look for additional ways to protect their current wealth. While some may think that setting up a...

California is what is known as a community property state. This means that family law judges are generally required to divide marital property equally in divorce cases even if doing so would not lead to an equitable outcome. This may seem particularly unfair when...

Victims of domestic violence in California may be worried about going to court to manage child custody matters, but a new law may make this process easier. Domestic abusers have been known to threaten their victims with potentially losing their children. Sometimes,...

Although a divorce can be emotionally devastating, the fact is that you need to start thinking about yourself ASAP. This is because you only have a small window in California to create protection around your financial and personal interests. The following includes a...

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 made several changes to the federal tax code that are scheduled to remain in effect until at least 2025. Generally speaking, it is a good idea to review your estate plan whenever tax laws are altered. Take a look at some steps that...

Property taxes in California are strictly capped at 1% of a property’s assessed value and can increase by no more than 2% each year. These rules were put into place in 1978 when voters in the Golden State approved Proposition 13. This greatly limits the amount of...