As a Santa Clara will and trust lawyer, I can tell you the answer to this question and so many other estate planning questions is, “Yes, but….” It is true that if you own an asset jointly with rights of survivorship in California, the joint tenant will automatically retain ownership of the property when you […]

As a Bay Area trust attorney, I know that a family home or vacation property is often the most valuable asset in a person’s estate. While the homeowner may want to leave their cherished property to children or other beneficiaries as an inheritance, taxes can quickly thwart well-meaning plans. The sad truth is that, without […]

As a Silicon Valley estate planning attorney, I know Millennials have a lot going on: they are starting their careers, buying their first homes, and starting their families. With so many “beginnings,” it’s hard to imagine finding time to stop and think about “the end.” A lot of people think that they are too young […]

Santa Clara Business Planning Lawyer: Your Business Should Be Ready for the Unexpected Business planning tends to revolve around where your business is right now and where you want it to be in the future. However, there is one aspect of business planning that many Santa Clara business owners overlook—what happens if you die unexpectedly. […]

Serious health diagnoses can impact your life in huge ways and may bring concerns you haven’t thought of up to the forefront. One of those concerns, which is often pushed off when everything is going well, is estate planning and/or elder law planning. Planning can give you the peace of mind knowing that your family […]

As a Silicon Valley estate planning attorney, I have seen many unfortunate circumstances where a person goes through the time and expense of having an estate plan created only to fail to update their beneficiaries on their financial or retirement accounts before they pass away. An example of this would be Mary naming her brother […]

When it comes to asset protection planning for retirement and leaving legacies to your loved ones, there are several different trusts available that can help accomplish your goals. One type of trust I recommend as a Bay Area trust attorney, called an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT), ensures that the benefits of your life insurance […]

Santa Clara Special Needs Lawyer: Use Your IRA to Benefit a Special Needs Charity or Non-Profit You Care About If you are over 70 ½ years old, you can donate some or all over your IRA to an eligible charity or non-profit of your choice. Using a Qualified Charitable Distribution, you can donate directly from […]

It’s no secret that the elderly are a favorite target of scam artists. Criminals will troll the internet and phone lists looking for seniors who are easy to prey upon due to an illness, disability, or cognitive impairment. Another reason scam artists love to attack seniors is the expectation that they have accumulated wealth over […]

In a rare instance of bipartisan cooperation, Congress recently passed a law that will expand benefits to individuals enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans who have chronic illnesses. The Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act will cover certain supplies and services not previously covered such as telehealth services, at-home visits […]