Michael Jackson’s death on Thursday shocked the world. As fans and mourners line up to pay their respects (and snap up Jackson music and merchandise) the question now on the minds of many is: What will happen to Michael Jackson’s estate and to his children? It is still too early to know what legal steps […]
Read moreThe subjects of life and death are not generally considered legal topics, but rather spiritual ones; they push us to examine the very nature of humanity and the existence (or not) of a soul, touching on our most deeply held beliefs. As a document that deals directly with these issues in the most personal manner, […]
Read moreI was recently interviewed by a reporter for the Desert Magazine regarding how to leave a legacy to family and loved ones. As an estate planning firm our job is to help people find the best way to leave an inheritance to their loved ones; but the inheritance you leave your children can end up […]
Read moreSummer is a time for iced tea and watermelon, long days in the pool, vacations at the shore… and for many people summer is also a time to volunteer for your favorite charity. With school out and free time at a maximum the time is ripe to get to know your community—and contribute with a […]
Read moreHow often do you and your spouse talk about the financial aspect of your retirement? For that matter, how often do you talk about finances in general? New Research by Fidelity has found that an alarmingly high number of couples barely communicate about their finances at all. In fact, “only 15 percent of couples feel […]
Read moreIf you’ve been weighing the pros and cons of setting up a trust for your young child, wondering if you really have enough assets to warrant such an expense, you must read Stacey L. Bradford’s recent article in the Wall Street Journal entitled “Deciding if Your Kid Is Trust-Worthy”. In her article Bradford explains why […]
Read moreWe write a lot on our blog about the separate "pieces" of an estate plan, the unique financial challenges facing adults these days, or each of the many individual concerns we face in the course of keeping up with the present and planning for the future; but today we want to look at the big […]
Read moreMany people count on life insurance to pay their estate tax when they pass away (allowing their heirs to keep non-liquid assets such as real estate without having to sell immediately), and this has always been a fairly safe and reliable strategy—as long as you’re keeping track of your policy. Arden Dale’s article in the […]
Read moreImagine for a moment that you (or you and your spouse) are in a car accident, knocked on the head, and suffer brain injuries great enough to put you into a coma for 2 weeks and require a full seven months of nursing and rehabilitative care. Thankfully, you make a full recovery of all your […]
Read moreAs an estate planning attorney, I often get asked the following question: "when should I review and update my estate plan?" Well, you may think that you are one of the smart ones: You already have an estate plan that you and your spouse created back in 1996; it’s sitting snugly in a safety deposit […]
Read more