It is understandable why people do not want to talk or think about death. But dying without a will takes power out of the individual’s hands and puts it in the hands of the state and its one-size-fits-all intestacy laws. Here is the law in California, where Skvarna Law Firm is located:
Category Archives: Assets
04
Aug
Aug
A grantor retained annuity trust (GRAT) is an irrevocable grantor trust you can use to make large financial gifts to your loved ones while also minimizing gift tax liability. These financial gifts remove future appreciation from your estate, reducing the amount that will be subject to estate tax at your death. However, gift tax liability could apply. In this case, the trust creator would pay at the onset. You create a GRAT and then fund it with accounts and property. People expect these to appreciate over the GRAT’s term. Then, you receive a fixed annuity payment, based on the trust’s original value, for a specified time. Once the period ends, the court transfers the remainder of the trust’s accounts and property to your named beneficiary.
Assets, Estate Administration, Estate Attorney, Estate Planning, Trusts
Medical Equipment Left Behind
28
Jul
Jul
Unless someone carefully declutters throughout their entire lifetime, it is unlikely that they will die without possessions. What’s more, when someone struggles at the end of their life with an ailment or age-related decline, they may require certain medical items:
21
Jul
Jul
Founded in 1998, PayPal was not the first company to offer online payments, but it was the first to obtain widespread adoption and is the top payment application among Americans today, with around three out of four respondents saying they are active users.
14
Jul
Jul
This person is a trusted decision maker who is tasked with handling all matters that relate to your trust. Depending on the type of trust, you could be the trustee in the beginning and need someone else to act as trustee only when you are unable to manage the trust, or you could select a trustee to act immediately.
16
Jun
Jun
If you are in a long-term relationship with your partner but remain unmarried, you may want to take advantage of these benefits. However, joint trusts do not work for unmarried couples. This may not seem fair. However, there are some important reasons why unmarried couples should consider separate rather than joint trusts.
09
Jun
Jun
Seek out resources if you lost your job through no fault of your own. Some employers offer severance packages. And in many cases, you could collect unemployment benefits. Depending on state law and your former employer’s policy, a payout of accrued vacation and sick leave may fund source of liquidity to sustain you for a while.
Assets, California Law, Celebrity Estates, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Trusts
Celebrity Trust: Elvis Presley
02
Jun
Jun
Born in 1968 to Elvis and Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie followed in the footsteps of her father as far as heart trouble. While her father died from a heart attack at the age of 42, she died due to heart problems nearly 46 years later, in January 2023.
12
May
May
Between planning, permitting, and construction, the home remodeling process can take months to complete. But even after the finishing touches have been applied, you may still have work to do. If the home is part of an estate plan, a remodel can affect that plan and require changes to it. To keep your estate plan up to date, make sure to discuss a home remodeling project with an attorney.
28
Apr
Apr
Raquel Welch had a reported net worth of $40 million. This will presumably go to her two adult children. However, few details reveal Welch’s estate plan. This suggests that she was also savvy about estate planning.