What is a Trust Administration? When a Trustor dies, the state of California requires that the Trustee of the Trust take some actions. The extent of these actions depends upon whether the Trust becomes irrevocable at the death of the Trustor or if the Trust provides specific actions for the Trustee to take upon the death. We recommend that upon a death of a Trustor, the Trustee schedule a meeting with an attorney within the first month to discuss the legal requirements upon death and what … [Read more...] about Trust Administration Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Attorneys Justin M. Kennedy and Maggie A. LaBranch-Gonzales Selected as 2021 California Rising Stars
Attorneys Justin M. Kennedy and Maggie A. LaBranch-Gonzales have been selected to the 2021 California Rising Stars list. This is an exclusive list, recognizing no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state. This is the 3rd year that Justin and Maggie have received this honor. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual … [Read more...] about Attorneys Justin M. Kennedy and Maggie A. LaBranch-Gonzales Selected as 2021 California Rising Stars
What is a Death Probate? (VIDEO)
In this video, Attorney Justin M. Kennedy discusses the death probate. In California, if a decedent passes away with more than $166,250 in assets in their name (not held in Trust), then their assets may be subject to the death probate. In California, a probate attorney is paid a statutory amount which is the same whether you hire an experienced probate attorney, or one who is inexperienced. When you are looking for a probate attorney, you should focus your search on finding an attorney … [Read more...] about What is a Death Probate? (VIDEO)
Attorneys Justin M. Kennedy and Maggie A. LaBranch-Gonzales Selected as 2020 California Rising Stars
Attorneys Justin M. Kennedy and Maggie A. LaBranch-Gonzales have been selected to the 2020 California Rising Stars list. This is an exclusive list, recognizing no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state. This is the 2nd year that Justin and Maggie have received this honor. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual … [Read more...] about Attorneys Justin M. Kennedy and Maggie A. LaBranch-Gonzales Selected as 2020 California Rising Stars
Attorneys Justin M. Kennedy and Magdalena A. LaBranch-Gonzales Selected as 2019 California Rising Stars
Attorneys Justin M. Kennedy and Magdalena A. LaBranch-Gonzales have been selected to the 2019 California Rising Stars list. This is an exclusive list, recognizing no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process, which results … [Read more...] about Attorneys Justin M. Kennedy and Magdalena A. LaBranch-Gonzales Selected as 2019 California Rising Stars
What Happens to a Living Trust when a Spouse Passes Away?
In this blog article, we will address the issue of living trusts as they apply to married couples and what happens to the trust upon the passing of the first spouse. First, we will review the value of living trusts in general. Many people assume that a last will is the best choice when they are planning their estates. They believe that trusts are only useful for those who are very wealthy. However, this is not entirely true. While there are trusts that are utilized to meet the objectives … [Read more...] about What Happens to a Living Trust when a Spouse Passes Away?
Who Administers My Living Trust When I Die?
The process of estate planning involves exploring your options. You do not want to make any assumptions without knowledge of all the facts, and people often do harbor misconceptions about trusts. One of the misconceptions is the idea that you cannot handle assets that you convey into any type of trust. This is not the case when it comes to a revocable living trust. When you create and fund this type of trust, you can act as the trustee while you are alive. If you create a joint living trust … [Read more...] about Who Administers My Living Trust When I Die?
What Is Digital Estate Planning?
A well constructed estate plan will leave behind a turnkey situation for the surviving family members. If you want to be comprehensively prepared, you need to consider every detail. With this in mind, we will look at digital estate planning in this blog post. More Than Documents Creating documents is part of the process when you plan your estate. At the same time, someone has to examine the wishes that you leave behind in the documents and bring them to fruition after your passing. You have to … [Read more...] about What Is Digital Estate Planning?
Should I Use a Corporate Trustee?
When you are planning your estate, you may want to consider the utilization of a revocable living trust as a vehicle of asset transfer. If you have a revocable living trust in place, you can continue to control the assets while you are alive and well. At first, you can act as the trustee. The trustee is the person who administers the trust. As the trustee you would control the actions of the trust throughout your life. The beneficiary of the trust receives monetary distributions from it. You … [Read more...] about Should I Use a Corporate Trustee?
What Is a Letter of Final Instruction?
Estate planning is going to involve the execution of legally binding documents. In some of these documents you are communicating your wishes regarding the transfer of your assets. Communication is the operative word here. When you plan your estate, you want to communicate information to relevant parties. With this in mind, we will look at the letter of final instruction in this post. Estate Administration If you use a last will to state your final wishes, you are going to name an executor to … [Read more...] about What Is a Letter of Final Instruction?
