Janet Brewer – Law Offices of Janet L. Brewer

Most people understand the need to protect, and assign, their assets after their death. They know who will care for their children or pets, who will receive the family heirloom brooch, and who will inherit their financial…more

Continued uncertainty due to Congress's delays - At just about this time last year I posted a blog article called What to Expect of the Estate Tax in 2011. Well, another year has now passed and the estate and gift tax laws…more

A sad case currently before the San Francisco Probate Court, In the Matter of the Fiorani Living Trust, deals with the tragic issue of what happens when a person abuses his position as trustee over a special needs trust meant to…more

The Wall Street Journal ran an interesting article this weekend examining the extent to which gift givers can exert control over their heirs once they are dead and gone. The article reveals several things that might surprise you…more

The 6 key things to consider A recent article at Forbes.com highlighted some of the issues surround estate planning as a married couple. Getting your affairs in order is crucial to securing your family’s future. (And when…more

The probate process can be complex and time consuming - especially in San Francisco probate cases involving multi-million dollars estates with diverse holdings. Here are my tips. When a San Francisco County resident dies…more

Bay Area families that have yet to take advantage of the current gift tax exemption are running out of time. As of midnight on December 31, 2012, the $5 million exemption disappears and will be replaced by a $1 million…more

“Probate” comes from one of those Latin words that lawyers love to use. Basically it means “to prove.” When you leave a will, someone has to prove to a court that the will is valid. (It’s possible to avoid probate by putting…more

Consider giving children, grandchildren, and future generations a gift that outlasts you If you have a child or grandchild celebrating a special occasion such as graduation this spring, you may be reflecting on what would…more

I have written before about a few ways someone in the Bay Area can protect his or her assets [link: http://www.calprobate.com/services/asset-protection/] from creditors. I want to expand here a bit on the idea of a family…more

Q: What is the best way for my parents in China to give me money for buying a house in the United States? My parents in China are ready to transfer $20,000 to me as a gift because my boyfriend and I plan to buy a house…more

Of all the topics I cover at this blog, probate seems to involve the most legalese. It's an ongoing challenge to translate legal jargon into examples and tips that make sense to non-lawyers. So I am glad to see that a new TV…more

This is the second of two articles on reviewing a trust. In this one, discuss how we evaluate a living trust agreement, and how that differs from developing an estate plan. My team and I examine dozens of things when we…more

This article is part of our series of articles on the risks and rewards of buying U.S. real estate as a non resident alien. Accountants know a lot about keeping track of your money, but estate planning isn’t their primary…more

This is the first of two articles on reviewing a trust. In this one I address whether a Palo Alto family with a living trust should have the creator of the trust do the review, or find a different attorney to take a fresh…more