What the Remaining Family Needs to Understand About Disinheritance Learning that a parent intends to disinherit one of their children places everyone involved in a difficult position. While the excluded sibling often bears the most visible emotional weight, the siblings who remain included in the estate plan frequently face their own complex challenges. These challenges […]
Category Archives: Heirs
17
Oct
Oct
In recent posts, we’ve discussed the importance of updating your estate plan as your family grows. One of the most common questions parents ask involves leaving assets to minor children safely. Parents, grandparents, and relatives all want to provide for the next generation. Yet even well-intentioned plans can create confusion, court involvement, and financial risk. […]
Assets, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Heirs, Trusts
Why Your Child’s Trust Should Grow with Them
08
Aug
Aug
Trusts are powerful estate planning tools, especially when created to protect a child’s financial future. However, if you establish your child’s trust when they are five, that may not serve the same purpose—or offer the same protection—when they’re 25 or 45. Just as your child grows and changes over time, so too must the legal […]
01
Aug
Aug
Does Treating Your Children Fairly Mean Unequal Inheritances? When creating an estate plan, many parents aim to treat their children fairly. But fairness does not always mean equality—especially when each child has different needs, responsibilities, or life circumstances. In some families, the fairest approach may involve unequal inheritances. In this post, we examine the times when […]
02
May
May
An Outdated Law That Still Disrupts Estate Planning Some laws seem so outdated they feel like trivia—such as the ban on tying a giraffe to a telephone pole or wearing a fake mustache in church. But not all outdated laws are harmless or forgotten. Dower rights, which date back to English common law, still actively […]
11
Apr
Apr
Estate planning doesn’t just reflect what you have today—it anticipates what tomorrow might bring. For many in Glendora and Upland, this means preparing for the unexpected: incapacity, sudden illness, or death. For parents and parents-to-be, the question of whether to include future children in an estate plan often surfaces. Does planning for a child who […]
Assets, Beneficiary, Heirs, Trusts
AB Trusts—A Powerful Estate Planning Strategy for Married Couples
14
Mar
Mar
Estate Planning Fundamentals: Why AB Trusts Matter Estate planning represents one of the most important steps you can take to protect your family’s future. While many people understand the basics of wills and simple trusts, specialized tools like AB Trusts often remain misunderstood despite their significant benefits. For married couples concerned about preserving assets for […]
01
Nov
Nov
In cases where more than one family member is interested in the same item, the best-case scenario is that they can reach a peaceful resolution, perhaps involving trading other sought-after items. If there is an impasse, beneficiaries could sell the item in question and divide the proceeds equally. Another option is for one beneficiary to buy out the other beneficiary’s interest in the item. They could also draw straws or flip a coin. The solution may depend on whether the dispute is over a single item, like a ring, or over multiple items, resulting in a breakdown in the peaceful division of items.
20
Sep
Sep
Generally, a more complicated estate plan (for example, a plan that includes continuing trusts, tax planning, or asset protection planning) will cost more, as it requires more time to prepare and a more experienced attorney. We caution you, however, from creating an estate plan that is overly simplistic and does not fully align with your goals just to save money on legal fees. A good estate planning attorney can recommend the “just right” estate plan to fit your needs without overcomplicating things and charging unnecessary fees for tools and features you do not need.
13
Sep
Sep
Another issue with relying on state law is that none of the transfers to your loved ones happen automatically. Your family must open a probate estate with the court and go through the process specified in state law before your property can transfer out of your name and into theirs. This process can be long and costly. It is also public. Many people prefer that an inventory of their property and the details of their family stay out of the public eye. Perhaps the best way to keep your matters private is by creating and funding a revocable living trust while you are alive and have the legal capacity to do so.