As a Bay Area will lawyer, I advise that it’s always best for a person to write down one’s intentions for their property when they die. However, many people still die intestate (without a will), and their intentions aren’t known. Often, however, these people’s heirs may make a claim that the deceased orally stated what […]

When it comes to estate planning, most people think of streams of income that are typical, such as current employment, retirement plans, and bank accounts. These obviously need to be included. But there are other, less obvious types of income that some people forget. When you work with an experienced Bay Area estate planning attorney, […]

As a Silicon Valley will and trust lawyer, I’ve worked with many grandparents interested in leaving a legacy behind for their grandchildren. A lot of people are surprised when I tell them they could be causing more harm than good if they aren’t careful. Imagine this for a moment: what would you have done if […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]