Santa Clara estate planning attorneys know, a divorce changes everything. If you are in the process of divorce or just finishing up, you are most likely busy trying to readjust to your new life. Although it’s a hectic time, it is important that you do not forget that you need to update your estate plan. […]

When most people think about estate planning, they picture money and property. But more and more people are adding intangible assets to their estate plan. Intangible assets might be things that have no monetary value but are nonetheless important to the family. They may include personal letters, a recorded family history, or digital assets such […]

San Francisco Bay Area will and trust attorney Gary Brainin asks, “Are you planning for your children’s future?” Picture this: you get an opportunity to spend some alone time with your spouse. What do you do to prepare for date night? You carefully select a babysitter. Then, you write detailed instructions: when to feed the […]

Santa Clara Special Needs Lawyer: Special Needs Trusts Protect Government Benefits and MUCH More! Unfortunately, many parents of children with special needs wait until their child turns 18 to consider creating a Special Needs Trust. Sometimes, they even wait until their child eventually needs government benefits like SSI or Medi-Cal. However, Special Needs Trusts do […]

The number of adult children caring for their elderly parents is growing at a very fast pace. If you are a baby boomer and not already caring for an elderly parent, chances are high that you might be facing this situation soon. It isn’t always easy to know when, or how, to step in to […]

Unless you were living under a rock, you most likely heard about the tax reform bill that was passed by Congress and signed by the President over the holidays. One big change that came out of it was the doubling of the exemption amount for federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes. Beginning in 2018, […]

Like many Americans, your home is probably your largest asset. However, if you have children who have grown and moved away, you’re left with an empty nest, quiet and big. You may be torn between keeping the house and passing it to your children someday or selling it. On the one hand, it may be […]

The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, which was created by Congress in 2014, allows people with disabilities and their families to save up to $100,000 in accounts for the benefit of a disabled person. The funds can be saved without jeopardizing the individual’s eligibility for Medi-Cal, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and other government […]

As a Silicon Valley will and trust lawyer, I have the important job of helping clients create a legacy that is compliant with a number of different laws. For the most part, these laws will vary from state to state. Some differences are minor, while others can affect an estate plan significantly. Someone who already […]

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 […]