San Francisco Peninsula will and trust lawyers see everything from very open and transparent situations to those where discussions of money are considered taboo.

Mortgages, loans, credit cards, even medical bills…nearly every wills and estates lawyer in the Bay Area is asked about what happens to a person’s debt when they die. It doesn’t seem quite fair for your descendants to be saddled with your debt, but it also doesn’t seem fair for creditors not to get the money […]

The expiration of key laws in Congress may mean your estate is at risk of owing 35-55% in “Death Taxes” after your passing.  Learn how to protect your estate from the IRS and steps to take to “opt-out” of the government’s plan for your money. Key legislation is set to expire at the end of […]

Tip No. 3: UTILIZE ARBITRATION AND MEDIATION Business transactions are no longer done on a handshake.  The business world is complex, and the more complex transactions become, the more potential exists for litigation to ensue.  The cost of litigation is so high that one small lawsuit can virtually bankrupt a business.  While business owners are […]

If you want to ensure your assets will be distributed the way you want after your death, it’s important to plan your estate with an attorney in San Mateo County or Santa Clara County. There are a number of options available, as any good estate planning lawyer will tell you. Do you need a will […]

Whether you’ve been divorced or widowed, there is always the chance of finding a new love and deciding you want to cement your commitment to one another.  That being said, there are likely some circumstances which make this trip down the aisle considerably different than the last one.  For example, you may have minor (or […]

There is a growing trend for scam artists targeting older people by preying on their fears about what will happen to their estates.  They work their charm to convince their elderly victims here in Menlo Park to create a “living trust,” but the outcome is not at all what they promise. First of all, a […]

July 24th, 2012 Posted to Elder Law / Long-Term Care, Wills and Trusts | Comments (4)

There are several aspects of estate planning in California that are less than fun, and that means that a lot of people choose to put the process off indefinitely.  There’s the need to gather a lot of documentation together, pay for an estate planning attorney, and — not insignificantly — to contemplate one’s own death.  […]

Estate planning lawyers in Menlo Park work daily with families who want to use their wills and trusts to set up guardianships for their minor children.  They go through extensive thought, planning, and soul-searching to make just the right choice in who will take over raising their children should they become unable to do so.  […]

As our parents get older and begin to lose their independence, many will turn to their adult children to help them navigate the complicated and costly world of long-term care. Yet for adult children already caring for young kids of their own, this new role of “caregiver” can be in a difficult one to assume.   […]