by Christine Brown | Feb 23, 2017 | Estate Tax, Inheritance, Inheritance Tax, Wills |
When the subject of inheritance is being discussed, people almost always ask this question to their Will and Trust lawyer in Torrance. Here is what you need to know about how you might be taxed on an inheritance. Income Taxes The IRS expects you to report every...
by Christine Brown | Feb 16, 2017 | Estate Planning, Healthcare, Medical Directives |
Health care directives, including the Living Will, Health Care Agent Designation, and HIPAA Medical Release, are crucial elements of every estate plan in Long Beach. One issue that does not come up very often when discussing health care directives, though, is mental...
by Christine Brown | Feb 9, 2017 | Estate Planning, Power of Attorney |
A Power of Attorney is a legal device that is used to give someone the power to act on your behalf if you are unable to. For example, if you have Alzheimer’s disease, there is a possibility that you will get to the point where it is no longer possible for you to make...
by Christine Brown | Feb 2, 2017 | Elder Care, Elder Law, Nursing Homes |
The Centers for Medicare and Medi-Cal Services (CMS) just made a momentous change of federal nursing home regulations. Nursing homes are now banned from using pre-dispute binding arbitration agreements. This means nursing homes can no longer force you to sign away...
by Christine Brown | Jan 25, 2017 | Estate Planning, Estates, Trusts, Wills |
It’s hard to believe that more than half of all adults in America do not have a Last Will and Testament or Trust in place, especially with so many public stories of celebrities who left their estates a mess by not leaving behind a Will, leaving an invalid Will, or not...
by Christine Brown | Jan 18, 2017 | Estate Planning, Estate Tax, Trusts |
If I had to pick one question that I am asked the most, I’d have to say this one ranks way up there… Do I need a new estate plan if I move out of California? Just like the answer to most estate planning questions, the answer is “it depends.” However, this one has a...
by Christine Brown | Jan 11, 2017 | Irrevocable Trust, Revocable Trust, Trusts |
Trusts are important legal relationships that involve a Grantor who creates a Trust to hold property, a Trustee who holds or manages the property in the Trust, and a Beneficiary (or Beneficiaries) who eventually receives the property. While there are many types of...
by Christine Brown | Jan 3, 2017 | Guardianships, Wills |
Choosing a legal guardian who can raise your kids if you are unexpectedly incapacitated or pass away can be a daunting and difficult challenge. There are many things to take into account such as parenting styles and the potential guardian’s ability to love and take...
by Christine Brown | Dec 22, 2016 | Special Needs Planning, Special Needs Trusts |
…And How May Seniors or People With Disabilities Benefit from One? When making decisions on care and insurance coverage for disabled and/or elderly loved ones, it’s easy to get lost in the myriad of choices and complicated regulations. With Medicare and Medi-Cal...
by Christine Brown | Dec 15, 2016 | Estate Plan, Estate Planning |
If you have a properly executed Will or Trust in place, good for you! You’ve taken a great step toward protecting your assets for future generations. But, establishing an estate plan is only the first step. You still need to make sure that your plan will stay rock...