Millions of individuals are affected by dementia in their lifetime. Unfortunately, it is usually after a medical crisis like dementia hits that many families begin to think about estate planning. What people don’t realize, however, is that it may be “too late” under the law to make a plan after dementia strikes. This is usually […]

Blended families are becoming more and more common in modern society, yet estate laws remain largely unchanged and still geared toward a “traditional” family structure. This poses an issue when it comes to leaving an inheritance for step-children in an estate plan. Step-children are often not legally adopted by the new spouse, which means they […]

This tragic hurricane season and other disasters have taken a toll on many parts of the United States and the Caribbean. They have also taken a toll on the charitable organizations that step in when a crisis hits. As a will and trust lawyer in the San Francisco Bay Area, it is gratifying to meet […]

Often, when we think of someone having property overseas, we think of George Clooney and his Italian villa or Richard Branson and his private island. However, plenty of everyday Americans own property or assets in other countries, and it may become part of their estates when they pass on. There are special considerations to keep […]

It’s entirely possible for someone to have an estate and no one to inherit it when they die. It could be due to not having children of one’s own and no other family. It could also be due to outliving all of one’s relatives, or not having relatives who live in the United States. Whatever […]

Unfortunately, family feuds that center around someone’s will or trust are a tale as old as time. Even if this is not something you have personally experienced, you may have heard a few horror stories. As Santa Clara will and trust lawyers, we have seen them! While family squabbles after the death of a loved […]

Being a responsible parent is usually associated with bedtime stories with toddlers, homework reminders for grade schoolers, and trying to decide whether or not your teenager is responsible enough to drive to school on his or her own. Creating an estate plan for those children is not something we usually associate with responsible parenting, but, […]

Not too long ago, a person who decided to leave an inheritance behind for their pet might be considered eccentric, to say the least. Take, for example, the case of Leona Helmsley: when she died in 2007, she left her dog Trouble an inheritance worth $12 million. While there may have been other factors weighed […]

Many people plan for their retirement by using Roth IRAs due to their great tax benefits, but most don’t know that Roth IRAs are also excellent for avoiding probate. First, here are some basics about tax planning with Roth IRAs that Santa Clara County probate lawyers typically go over with their clients:   Unlike traditional […]

When it comes to creating a special needs plan for a loved one with disabilities, it’s the hope that all family members are in agreement and ideally on the same page. But, as a Silicon Valley special needs lawyer, I have seen that even if everyone is working together, there can be issues when the […]