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 […]

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, […]

A common concern for those who have remarried is that they still want to leave the bulk of their estate to their adult children without abandoning their current spouse. The solution? Create a life estate. A life estate is an interest in property that allows a person to use a property for the rest of […]

Dying intestate, or without a will, is very common. If you die without a will, your property will go through probate and is then distributed according to California’s intestacy laws. Intestacy laws govern intestate property. They go into effect unless there is a valid will to testify to the deceased’s wishes or some other established […]

Funeral planning is not a pleasant experience, especially when you’re pre-planning your own. But, San Francisco Bay Area will lawyers stress that it’s important to have your wishes in writing for after you pass away, since you won’t be around to let anyone know what you want done once you’re gone. Do you want to […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]