If you recently lost a loved one and find yourself in charge of administering the decedent’s estate, you will likely find yourself struggling to manage your grief while simultaneously focusing on the practical steps you need to take during the probate process. Unfortunately this internal struggle often leads to making a mistake. Sometimes those mistakes can be costly ones. To help you avoid making those mistakes, a Los Angeles probate attorney at Collins Law Group discusses probate mistakes you … [Read more...]
What Should I Do If I Suspect My Mother Is the Victim of Elder Abuse?
As an adult child, it can be difficult to watch your mother age and become vulnerable. Under the best of circumstances you undoubtedly worry about her. If you have reason to suspect that your mother is the victim of elder abuse, however, that worry takes on a heightened level of importance. A Baldwin Hills elder law attorney at Collins Law Firm explains what you should do if you suspect that your mother is the victim of elder abuse. The Rise of the Elderly The older population has grown at a … [Read more...]
Can I Disinherit an Heir to My Estate?
For most people, a primary motivating factor for the creation of an estate plan is the ability to dictate who inherits from their estate. What happens though, if your biggest concern is not who does inherit from your estate, but who does not inherit from your estate? A renowned Los Angeles estate planning attorney at Collins Law Group explains how to disinherit an heir from your estate plan. Who Are My Heirs? If it is important to you to be the one to determine what happens to your assets … [Read more...]
The Little Things May be the Most Important
Your estate may be worth a little or a lot at your death. The items which your beneficiaries might cherish could be the sentimental ones. Read on to learn how your will or trust could provide the ability for you to keep a list and update it without needing to see your lawyer every time you change your mind on an item. The Little Things May be the Most Important … [Read more...]
Can You Avoid Probate With a Will?
When you think about the need for an estate plan, you likely focus on the desire to ensure that your estate is distributed according to your wishes after you are gone. While that is certainly a strong motivating factor in the creation of most estate plans, a comprehensive estate plan can accomplish much more. Probate avoidance, for example, is a common secondary goal for many people. Much confusion, however, exists with regard to how to structure an estate plan so that an estate avoids probate. … [Read more...]
Will My Parents Qualify for Medi-Cal?
Many adult children experience a role reversal with their parents as their parents age. If you are going through this phenomenon with your parents, you are likely starting to worry about the rising cost of healthcare for seniors. As your parents get older, their healthcare costs will undoubtedly increase. If one (or both) of them needs long-term care at some point, the cost of that care could easily exceed $100,000 per year. To ensure that your parents can afford that care if it is needed, the … [Read more...]
Do All Estates Need to Be Probated?
If you recently lost a family member or a close loved one, you are undoubtedly still going through the grieving process. At some point, however, the legal ramifications of the decedent’s death will need to be addressed by someone. If that “someone” turns out to be you, and you have never before handled the practical aspects of a loved one's death, you may have a number of questions. One of the first questions people have after losing a loved one that left behind a relatively modest estate is … [Read more...]
How to Use a Living Trust to Gift to Grandchildren
If you are fortunate enough to be a grandparent, you understand the joy a grandchild brings into your life. Becoming a grandparent may also prompt you to make some changes to your estate plan if you wish to include your grandchildren in your plan. A Los Angeles living trust attorney at Collins Law Office explains why using a living trust to gift to grandchildren is often a much better option than relying on your Will to make those gifts. Why a Last Will and Testament May Be Inadequate The Last … [Read more...]
Should I Purchase Long-Term Care Insurance?
Creating a comprehensive estate plan requires you to consider a number of factors that might impact you as you age, including the likelihood that you, or a spouse, will need long-term care. If you do end up needing long-term care (LTC), the cost of that care could put your estate assets at risk if you failed to plan for the possibility ahead of time. One way to plan ahead for LTC is to purchase LTC insurance. Long-term care insurance, however, is not right for everyone. To help you decide if it … [Read more...]
Turning the Page on 2018 and Looking Forward to 2019
As we turn the page and bid farewell to 2018, we look forward to 2019. This article summarizes the major changes for 2019, both in the tax area and in other areas. Read on to learn more. Turning the Page on 2018 and Looking Forward to 2019 … [Read more...]
