Category: Estate Planning

We encourage you to talk to a lawyer about your estate planning needs. However, for certain small estates and for individuals who are not worried about the costs and expense of probate, we are providing information related to some complimentary California forms below: California Will These forms and information are not designed to be a substitute for proper estate planning and drafting your own will may have unintended consequences and result in misinterpretation. It also does not prevent probate. However, a will may be a better alternative than having no documents in place. CALIFORNIA STATUTORY WILL (PDF) DOWNLOAD California Durable […]

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Assets you hold with another person, such as your spouse, can go to them directly depending on how assets are titled. Assets in accounts that designate a beneficiary can go straight to that person – this includes life insurance, retirement accounts, bank accounts, and brokerage accounts. Make sure that you keep these designations up-to-date, or your ex might end up with a surprise fund. If you have already set up a trust, assets that were properly funded get distributed according to the terms set out in a trust document by your estate planning attorney. Other assets, such as real property […]

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We’ll walk you through how to create and formalize your estate plan with our step-by-step estate planning checklist. 1. Take inventory. First things first, you can’t do much to prepare an estate plan without knowing what you have. Make a list of everything you own, which includes the following: Real property Cars, boats, trains, and planes Gather statements from your banks, brokerage accounts, and retirement accounts. Gather information on any stock or stock options Gather information related to any cryptocurrency holdings Make a list of insurance policies, whether self-purchased or through an employer Any business ownership interests, including whether you […]

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