Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are savings vehicles that allow a tax deduction to be taken when you contribute to the account. The maximum contribution in 2021 is $6,000, plus those age 50 and over may contribute an additional $1,000. The income is not taxable while the assets are held in the IRA, however, the distributions […]

There are several different trusts available to achieve asset protection planning goals and to ensure you leave a legacy behind for your loved ones. One of the most common trusts to help achieve these goals is an irrevocable life insurance trust, also called ILIT. These trusts protect the benefits of your life insurance policies by […]

As a Silicon Valley trust attorney, I help many seniors set up Revocable Living Trusts to avoid probate proceedings and to give clear instructions on how they want their assets and property handled after death. The Grantor creates a trust when it is signed and funded with assets or property; that means anything used to […]

All parents who have a child with special needs want to make sure that those children are taken care of in every instance—most importantly, after the parents have passed away or can no longer provide personal care for the child. Creating a special needs trust is extremely crucial in keeping that continuity of care and […]

Santa Clara County guardianship lawyers are asked this question nearly every day! The answer is…maybe. Before you begin to worry, let us explain. When nonmarried parents have a formal custody agreement and one party passes away, that custody agreement is no longer valid. In most cases, the child’s permanent custody would revert to the surviving […]

In life, there are jobs we seek out and others that are given to us. Being named an Executor on an estate is one of the most important jobs one can be asked to hold by another person. It means there is someone who trusts you fully and believes that you will manage their final […]

Have you ever thought about what you want to happen to your “digital assets,” including your Facebook page, after you pass away? This is a question that Big Tech giants have spent the past few years grappling with as more and more of our lives are lived online. As such, companies like Facebook have started […]

One thing the COVID-19 crisis has brought to the forefront of many people’s minds is the need to update older estate plans, including their Last Wills and Testaments. We were collectively reminded that having an updated estate plan is incredibly important, no matter how old you are. In general, a Santa Clara County estate planning […]

There are a lot of different estate planning and asset protection planning trusts out there: revocable living trusts, Medi-Cal asset protection trusts, and life insurance trusts are just a few of them. One type of trust that Silicon Valley trust lawyers find to be useful, though sometimes only in narrow circumstances, is a self-settled trust. […]

The power of attorney is one of the most important documents in your estate plan, but there are some common mistakes that could render it ineffective. Knowing how to spot these mistakes is key to making sure that you get the most out of your power of attorney and all the benefits it provides. Here […]