What is Probate? A common goal of estate planning is to avoid probate. But what exactly is probate? Probate is a court-supervised process for gathering a decedent’s assets, paying the decedent’s debts, and distributing the remaining balance to the decedent’s beneficiaries. The process ultimately requires proving a will to be valid, obtaining a court […]
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While recently exploring through The Carmel Valley Life I realized it’s been a year since I have been involved with this wonderful community website. It occurred to me how quickly this past year has gone by, and almost gave me a strange feeling because I can perfectly remember writing my first article about the holidays […]
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The estate plans of the rich and famous regularly make the news. The battles surrounding Michael Jackson’s estate are no secret, and Whitney Houston’s estate plan (or lack thereof) has received criticism this past year. The newsworthiness of these celebrities seems to indicate that only the wealthy need an estate plan. That couldn’t be farther […]
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Establishing a very good partnership with your divorce attorney is critical as it has an enormous impact on the process, outcome and cost of your divorce. Take time to carefully pick the best attorney for you. Here are some do’s and don’ts to get you headed down the best path. 1) Before going to see […]
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Tips to avoid loss of important documents. Imagine your family trying to search stacks of paper in your home to find your estate plan. In those stacks, they find nothing but old bills. They turn to your rolodex and find a business card for an attorney. They call that office in hopes it was your […]
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I recently returned from a trip to the beautiful country of Costa Rica. One of the things I found most breathtaking about the places I visited was the beauty and tranquility of the beaches; the beach at Manuel Antonio is pictured with this article. I realize it may sound strange to be taken by beaches […]
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When it comes to setting financial goals and figuring out how you’re going to reach them you can’t leave it to chance. By definition, a goal has a deadline, and in order to reach it you need a strategy—you have to do certain things, in a certain order, by a certain date. Whether your goal […]
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What would you do if a five- or six-figure check showed up one day? You might want to give that question some serious thought because, for some families, it could happen. No, it’s not the lottery, a federal stimulus payment or the result of your ability to pick hot stocks on Wall Street. It might […]
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Have you wondered why it’s hard to get an answer when you call in to the court clerk inquiring about your case? There may not be someone there to answer your call anymore. All court business offices are now closed to the public at noon on Fridays, and the civil business offices in El Cajon and […]
Continue reading …As we begin to age and start our “adult” lives, we often begin to start planning for the future, most commonly through estate planning and creating wills. Because everyone who owns anything has an estate, including a home, bank accounts or even furniture, we all need to be aware of what estate planning entails. Luckily […]
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Sometimes life gives us another chance… a “do over.” We’re hopeful and with good reason. We’re also aware that a second marriage is a bit more complicated than the first time we tied the knot. When two families join together, it’s not always like the Brady Bunch. Remarriage creates instant extended-family responsibilities that can affect […]
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An integral part of your estate planning is determining who will make financial decisions for you and your estate when you can’t make the decisions yourself. A trustee is the person or institution you name in your trust who will administer your estate and carry out the instructions in your trust during your incapacity and […]
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