Estate Planning
Advance Directive vs POLST: Know the Key Differences
When it comes to planning for future medical care, two documents often create confusion: the Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD) and the POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment). While both are important, they serve different purposes. Understanding how...
Estate Planning: Community vs. separate property in California estate planning
When it comes to estate planning in California, one of the most important things to understand is the difference between community property and separate property. Because California is one of only a handful of community property states, how your property is classified...
Estate Planning: Life-or-death decisions your family shouldn’t have to make alone
When people think about estate planning, they often focus on wills, trusts and who inherits what. But planning is about far more than property. It also addresses medical decisions – those moments when you can’t speak for yourself and someone else must step in. A...
Estate Planning: Understanding portability in California estate planning
Portability is an important concept in estate planning that can help married couples maximize their federal estate tax exemptions. In simple terms, portability allows the unused portion of a deceased spouse’s federal estate tax exemption to pass to the surviving...
Estate Planning: Estate planning one bite at a time
A friend recently shared a conversation she had with “Carol,” a long-time acquaintance. They caught up on many topics, but eventually the discussion turned to Carol’s home and family situation. What followed was surprising, though it’s something estate planners see...
Estate Planning: What happens if you die without a will in California?
If someone passes away in California without a will or trust, the law says they have died intestate. When that happens, state law – not the person – decides who gets the property. This process, called intestate succession, is handled through probate court....
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