Getting a divorce is an expensive and time-consuming process. You would likely prefer to avoid additional expenses and other legal matters for the foreseeable future after a recent divorce. However, your aversion to legal conversations might in a very vulnerable...
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Estate Planning
How To Pick An Executor For Your Will
Choosing a person to be the executor of your will and the rest of your estate is one of the most important estate planning decisions you will make. However, too many people – particularly those who don’t have a spouse -- tend to choose one of their children, siblings...
Can I include stock options in my estate plan?
As part of their compensation packages, some employees receive stock options. These are good opportunities to have solid investments that can benefit them during retirement. Some people are curious as to how they can use these stock options to benefit their loved...
When Is A Handwritten Will Valid In California?
Handwritten wills, also referred to as holographic wills, are still fairly common. In California, this type of will is valid, whether witnessed or not, provided the signature and the main components are in the handwriting of the person who created it, also known as...
Remembering beneficiaries in estate planning
A surprising number of celebrities pass away without an estate plan. Everybody needs to look into the benefits of estate planning to help smooth the way when they die. Determining who will inherit your assets and putting this down on paper will help make the transfer...
How should you update your estate plan as a new grandparent?
Congratulations on the new addition to your family! Like all grandparents, you want to do everything you can to provide support to your grandchild and set them up for future success. Including them in your estate plan is one way of doing that. You can make sure that...
Will an estate plan protect my business?
Having an estate plan in place in the event of an untimely death can be an excellent method of protecting a personal business. You don't want to have worked for a lifetime only to lose a personal business that could be a family legacy and livelihood for generations to...
When a will is not the best choice
Some Californians think that a last will and testament will cover everything when the time comes to leave accumulated wealth to heirs. While a will is an integral part of estate planning, this document doesn't work well in some situations. Limitations of a will...
Advantages and disadvantages of revocable and irrevocable trusts
If you are creating an estate plan in California, you may wonder whether a trust would be a useful tool for you. One of the first things you will need to decide is whether you need a revocable or irrevocable trust. Changing a trust One of the major differences in the...
3 basic things you can do with your estate plan
Many California residents haven’t even completed a basic will, let alone set up other estate planning documents like powers of attorney or trusts. If you have some assets and a family, you may want to start thinking about your estate plan. Here are a few of the basic...