Everything You Need to Know About Beneficiary Designations
Intro. The Uniform Trust Code (UTC) is a mere aggregation of tweaks to the corner of equity jurisprudence that long ago gave birth to and currently stewards the trust relationship, hereinafter “the background trust law.”...more
What do you need to know about estate planning for pets in San Diego and throughout California? What are some of the essential elements of an effective estate plan that will protect your beloved companion(s) while ensuring...more
Estate planning is one of the most important conversations you’ll ever have with your parents. Discussing wills, trusts, and end-of-life wishes can feel uncomfortable, but having a clear plan in place can save your family...more
You likely have created revocable or irrevocable trusts, or a few of both, in your estate plan. Ideally, these have been properly drafted with plenty of flexibility so that they can continue to meet your wealth planning goals...more
Why is the end of the year a good time to consider trust and estate planning for business owners? Do you own real property or have other investments outside your business interests? Have you given any thought to what would...more
Many people create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, maintain privacy, and ensure smooth estate distribution. However, these benefits only apply if you properly “fund” your trust, meaning you must transfer assets...more
When crafting an individual estate plan, you should consider whether a Revocable Trust is right for you. Below is an analysis of an artificial fact pattern and the estate plan I would recommend based on that fact pattern....more
The Cayman Islands is one of the leading jurisdictions for the establishment and management of trusts. It has a sophisticated professional trust sector, modern trusts legislation and an effective judicial system. There is a...more
In the realm of estate planning, many people are familiar with the traditional will as a means of distributing assets after death. However, the inclusion of a revocable trust (also known as a living trust), which offers a...more
It is important to update your trust and estate plan regularly to protect your interests and meet the changing requirements of your future while integrating changes in law and best practices to provide for every potential...more
The benefits of a Revocable Trust are three-fold. Firstly, assuming that the Revocable Trust is properly funded with all of a person’s assets, a Revocable Trust helps avoid a state’s probate procedure, which can be costly...more
Earlier this year, the California Supreme Court ruled that a trust amendment can be valid even if the trustor did not follow the specific amendment procedure referenced in the trust document itself because the trustor (trust...more
If you are in the process of long-term estate planning or updating an existing estate plan, the process for passing assets and accounts to your heirs is about to become much more difficult and expensive. Presently, each...more
Most US homeowners and business owners understand the importance of an estate plan; they just never seem to get around to completing the task. What do you need to know about a trust? Why are trusts a central component of any...more
Because so many things can change with time, we recommend that our clients review their estate plans every three to five years and update plans as needed. These periodic reviews help to ensure that your affairs are in order,...more
Earlier this week the White House released its Fiscal Year 2025 Budget. Of course, the federal government has not yet adopted a budget for the Fiscal Year 2024 even as we approach that year’s halfway mark. But I digress. The...more
Revocable trusts - Don’t forget to fund the trust throughout your lifetime - Many estate plans are built around revocable trusts (sometimes called “living trusts”). These trusts allow you to 1) avoid the time, expense...more
There are a number of considerations to make when deciding whether to proceed with a Will-based estate plan or a trust-based estate plan. First, as a general matter, there are two ways in which your estate can be distributed...more
Trusts are described in multiple ways, including: living or testamentary, revocable or irrevocable and grantor or non-grantor. These terms are not always mutually exclusive. A trust can be living, revocable and a grantor...more
Isn’t it interesting that success is built into business succession. Still, most US companies do not have a business succession plan in place. What is business succession planning and how does it enhance your own success and...more
There are numerous benefits of using trusts in your estate plan. For example, trusts can maximize the tax code provisions shielding assets from gift and estate taxes, protect assets from the clutches of creditors or...more
When we think about making plans to secure our future, generally the discussions revolve around education, career, family, and finances. Creating a comprehensive estate plan, including effective advanced directives, can elude...more
In the recent case In Laureen Gordon Revocable Trust, the Michigan Court of Appeals digs into these questions. Gordon Trust involved a fight between an uncle and his niece and nephew primarily over the distribution of family...more
The Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) was enacted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act and establishes that certain types of business entities must report to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”)...more
One of the most common questions we hear from our clients is “do I need a revocable living trust?” While in some states a revocable living trust is a vital component of any estate plan due to those state’s probate laws,...more