You’ve worked hard to leave your children a financial legacy, and the last thing you want is for half of your child’s inheritance to walk out the door with an ex-spouse if he or she gets divorced someday. But, under today’s laws, that could actually happen if you don’t safeguard your family’s assets and plan […]

As a Santa Clara special needs lawyer, I often receive questions about whether a disabled individual can continue to receive benefits after receiving an inheritance. The answer is that it really depends on the type of benefit that is being collected. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) SSDI is a government benefit that helps those with […]

One of the many questions Bay Area estate planning lawyers get asked is how long is a Power of Attorney in effect. The answer to that question is complicated in the beginning, but very simple at the end: depending on what type of Power of Attorney you have, it may be in effect as soon […]

When making an estate plan and Last Will and Testament with a Silicon Valley will and trust lawyer, many people have a difficult time deciding who should be the Executor of their estate. Oftentimes, they will consider naming Co-Executors—two or more people who serve as executor of the estate. Each Co-Executor named in your Last […]

Recent studies have shown that only a little more than half of all Americans have a Will or Trust document in place to direct their estate after they pass away, and that the vast majority of those documents have not been updated in the last five years. Even worse, it’s been reported that most adult […]

This may sound like a situation from a movie, but our San Francisco Peninsula estate planning lawyers have actually received a few calls like these. A long-lost child appears after the death of their parent. This is an alarming situation for so many reasons, but people often wonder if that child has a claim against […]

You’re pregnant! Congratulations! Your world is about to become brighter and sweeter than you ever imagined. I know that you are in the process of learning a lot of new things. So, as your neighborhood Santa Clara guardianship lawyer, I’m hoping that in between the baby showers and reading “What to Expect,” you spend a […]

The documentation that you and your lawyer create for your special needs planning in Santa Clara County will be quite detailed and will take an incredible amount into consideration, but it will likely not cover every possible concern or wish you may have for your child’s future care.  For that purpose, many parents work with […]

In order to better streamline the California estate planning process, it can be incredibly helpful to do a bit of organizing before meeting with your Bay Area Trust and Estates attorney. This allows you to feel confident in what you’re doing, as well as minimize the time spent on the task at hand.  Both you […]

When it comes to Santa Clara estate planning, most of us are aware of the common things we need to discuss with our Santa Clara trusts and estates attorney. There are so many financial concerns, legal concerns, and even personal concerns regarding a person’s inheritance and other desires. However, when it comes down to honoring […]