Welcome to the Desert Law Group blog! Here you will find estate planning information and insights, helpful tips to preserve your wealth and protect your assets, and copies of our latest newsletters, Lawyer for Life, Elder Law Update, and Smart Aging Update.
Browse recent posts to gain general information, use the menu at the left to search by topic, or join the Desert Law Group community by subscribing to have new posts emailed directly to your inbox. Topics include: estate planning, probate and trusts, healthcare planning, special needs planning, charitable giving, and more. Check back regularly for updates!
If you would like to receive more information about anything you’ve read on our blog or have questions that you can’t find the answer to, contact our office at 760-776-9977 to speak with an estate planning attorney.
When your children turn 18 they are legal adults. They might not act like adults all of the time, and you may still be supporting them financially, but in the eyes of the law they are indeed adults. This means that you can no longer make certain decisions for them, including health care decisions. Furthermore, […]
Read moreAn “I Love You Will” is a last will and testament in which the testator—the person who makes the will—leaves everything to his or her spouse. If you have thought about making a will in the past, you likely considered this approach. Perhaps you have already created such a will. While an I Love You […]
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While sitting around the dinner table during the upcoming holidays, you might want to turn the conversation around to your estate plan. Telling your family members about your final wishes might just be the best gift you can give them. It could head off disagreements and hard feelings. Why talk about something so morbid at […]
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A dilemma faced by many as we get older: is it time to accomplish things you haven’t accomplished yet, or time to reflect and just enjoy your remaining years. Although there are different points of view, an essay in the Wall Street Journal suggests that the latter choice might be better for some folks. The […]
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The face of the American family is changing. That’s especially true where marriage is concerned. In California, of course, we welcomed same-sex marriage last year with the landmark verdict in Hollingsworth v. Perry. But that’s not the only change taking place in the American landscape. http://gty.im/sb10066175a-006 According to the Pew Research Center, one in five […]
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Any number of things could be the cue to family and friends of older people to begin to realize the individuals are in need of help caring for themselves. A recent article on the website CareConversations.org, though, provides three very specific early signs that it’s time to take action. These are: Writing checks or withdrawing […]
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For those of you who plan to file your 2014 tax return timely so that you can get your refund promptly, you should probably postpone your shopping spree. According to article by Stephen Ohlemacher of Associate Press, Congress again passed a tax bill this year just before shutting down for the holidays, extending more than […]
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You’ve got plenty to do this time of year. Buy presents. Get a turkey. Decorate the house. But there’s one more thing that you should add to the list – update your estate plan. Your estate plan needs to change as often as your life changes, says an article on savannahnow.com. Maybe there is a […]
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The estate tax exemption for 2015 has jumped to $5.43 million per person, up from $5.34 million, due to an adjustment for inflation, the IRS has announced. For a married couple, the combined exemption increases to nearly $11 million, notes a story in the Wall Street Journal. The annual gift exclusion, however, will remain at […]
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Even though many people think so, retirement accounts are not included in wills. A story in Forbes points out that who gets the money invested in a retirement account such as an IRA depends on who is named on the account’s beneficiary form. Lots of people make mistakes when it comes to retirement accounts. They […]
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