When our clients come to us with questions about spousal support (or “alimony”) whether in contemplation of a prenuptial agreement, a post-nuptial agreement, or divorce, they are often fearful of its uncertainty. Common concerns run from “will my spouse/partner take...
Serving The Bay Area For More Than A Decade
Year: 2019
Horizons Foundation is Hosting Moms Make Movements: Creating Family Acceptance for LGBTQ Youth
Johnston, Kinney & Zulaica LLP proudly supports Horizons Foundation and their event, Moms Make Movements. Moms Make Movements Date: Friday, May 10, 2019 Time: 6:30–9:30 p.m. Location: La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705 Registration:...
IRS Ending Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP)
The IRS has recently announced that it will be ending the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) on September 28, 2018. OVDP is one of the programs established by the IRS to allow U.S. taxpayers to resolve lack of compliance with unreported foreign financial...
Multi-National Estate Planning
By Yulissa Zulaica Estate planning can become more complex for U.S. persons who own property outside the U.S. or live outside of the U.S., or for non-resident persons (NRA) who own property in the U.S. Sometimes we have to make sure that the estate plan we establish...
Elder Financial Abuse: the lesser-known evil
By Vanessa Sundin John is 73 and lives in a retirement home in San Francisco. Although his family lives in the area, John sees them only two or three times a month. To chase away the lonely bug and to see some new faces, John often has dinner at a restaurant, named...
Real Estate Titling for Same-Sex Couples in California
For most heterosexual couples, the question of their legal status in California or elsewhere is generally a simple one – they are either married or single.[1] Under the current legal framework in California, the answer is not as clear for same-sex couples, because...
Transferring Royalties and Copyrights at Death
There are many reasons to set up a trust rather than a will. In California, trusts are often set up to avoid the costs and delays probate, which is the court supervised administration of an estate. However, your trust must be “funded” in order to avoid probate or...
TheRealReal Feature: How to Avoid Three Personal Property Misconceptions That Could Be Losing Your Clients Money
Article Written by Karin Dillie, The RealReal American Bar Association Let’s be honest—no one likes going through a closet—not even her own closet. How long have you had a pile for donation sitting in the corner without touching it? Often, we resist acting because we...
Caregiver Statute
California Probate Code Section 21350, also known as the Care Custodian Statute, presumptively invalidates testamentary gifts (gifts left in a will or a trust or even by beneficiary designation) made by an elder to individuals who provided health and social services...
I Give You My Heart and My Home- Gift and Tax Income Consequences for Gifting Property
Meet Wanda and Jane. They have been a happy couple since January 1, 1986, and celebrated their silver anniversary by registering as Domestic Partners on January 1, 2011. In 1999, Wanda bought a home for them to share with $600,000 of an inheritance she received from...