There are many reasons why Californians shouldn’t just put an estate plan in place and forget about it. Although crafting an estate plan is a crucial step toward protecting your loved ones and your legacy that far too many people neglect, it’s not typically a...
A will is a legal document that is crucial for estate planning. With a will, a testator can designate who should benefit from the distribution of assets. Unfortunately, many people die without a will. This can make it difficult to settle an estate and distribute...
Charitable remainder trusts (CRTs) are useful estate planning tools for people who want to balance out their desire for financial security with their desire to support their favorite charities. CRTs come in two primary forms: charitable remainder annuity trusts...
One of the fears that many people have as they draft their will is how their assets will be used. Many people have worked hard to build up their estate and they often do not want it wasted on poor investments. While a will has the purpose of managing assets after the...
A trust is a legal document that allows you to make specific requests about how your assets are managed. You could, for example, put aside funds for charities, pets or grandchildren with a trust. One popular kind of document is an incentive trust. An incentive trust...
It's important to go beyond simply transferring your assets to loved ones when crafting your estate plan. You should also consider protecting your assets from potential risks and threats even after your death. That's where a trust comes into play. It can be a valuable...
If your loved one's estate plan goes to probate and you notice unusual things, you can bring them up to ensure their true wishes are fulfilled. One of the things to look out for is undue influence, which can give you grounds for contesting the will. But, how can you...