Our annual Collins Law Group holiday outing was at LACMA and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures this year, and it was one of those days that reminds you what matters. There’s something special about getting the whole firm together outside the office, no phones ringing, no timelines, just camaraderie, laughter, and that shared feeling of, “This is my people.” The kind of togetherness that recharges you in the best way, and reminds you that the work we do is a team sport. Because day to … [Read more...] about The Team Behind the Work That Protects Families – Collins Law Group Annual Holiday Outing at LACMA & the Academy Museum
Estate Planning
The New Year Move Most L.A. Families Skip (Until It’s Too Late)
Los Angeles families start January with big intentions—clean eating, clean inbox, clean slate. Then life tests the foundation. A fall. A diagnosis. A sudden hospitalization. A death that arrives without warning. In that moment, families don’t need motivation. They need authority, instructions, and a plan that works on a bad day. That’s why Collins Law Group opens the year with our In-Person Seminar: Wills, Living Trusts & Asset Protection on Wednesday, January 7, 2026 (10:00 AM–12:00 PM) … [Read more...] about The New Year Move Most L.A. Families Skip (Until It’s Too Late)
A Holiday Message for Our Clients & Neighbors: Family, Reflection & Legacy
To our clients, your families, and our neighbors here in Inglewood, Ladera Heights, Culver City, Santa Monica, Marina del Rey, and Playa del Rey and also to those we haven’t met yet, but hope to serve in the year ahead... As the year eases into winter, our corner of Los Angeles takes on a quieter kind of magic. You can feel it in the way the evenings arrive a little earlier, in the glow of neighborhood lights, in the sea air drifting in from the coast, and in the familiar rhythm of families … [Read more...] about A Holiday Message for Our Clients & Neighbors: Family, Reflection & Legacy
Early Alzheimer’s in Inglewood: How One Family Turned Fear Into a Plan to Protect Mom, the House, and the Kids
Jamal pulled up in front of his mom’s house off Manchester and watched her stand on the porch, purse on her shoulder, keys in her hand, staring at the driveway like she waited for a cue. They drove to the same church every week. That morning, as they turned onto Crenshaw, she asked for the third time, “Left or right ?” Jamal laughed the first time. By the third, he felt his chest tighten. His mother, Denise, knew these streets better than anyone. She worked thirty years as a school … [Read more...] about Early Alzheimer’s in Inglewood: How One Family Turned Fear Into a Plan to Protect Mom, the House, and the Kids
Living Trust vs. Will in Los Angeles: The Choice That Decides Whether Your Family Meets a Judge
Marisol didn’t think she was the “estate planning type.” She’s the keep-the-lights-on type. The two jobs, one kid, one parent who’s “fine” until they’re not type. Then her father collapsed on a Tuesday, right there in the living room off Manchester. One minute he’s arguing about the TV volume, the next minute she’s riding behind an ambulance, rehearsing prayers and promises she never wanted to make. In the waiting room, a nurse asks her a question that lands like a brick: “Do you have the … [Read more...] about Living Trust vs. Will in Los Angeles: The Choice That Decides Whether Your Family Meets a Judge
Can I Be the Trustee of My Living Trust?
⏱️ 3–4 minute read James spread a pile of mail across his kitchen table. Credit card offers. Utility bills. A flyer from Collins Law Group about wills, living trusts, and asset protection. He stared at the word “trust” and felt his shoulders tense. “I’m not ready for anybody to tell me what to do with my money,” he said out loud, even though he sat alone. James spent more than thirty years working at LAX. He bought his home near Manchester, raised his kids there, survived job … [Read more...] about Can I Be the Trustee of My Living Trust?
Reverse Mortgage, No Trust: How Families Lose the Home They Worked a Lifetime For
On a cool December evening in Inglewood, the Lopez family gathered around the dining table with a stack of papers and a knot in their stomachs. For years, Grandma Rosa told her kids, “When I’m gone, this house will give you a little breathing room. Pay off a few bills. Help the grandkids get started.” She didn’t promise four years of tuition and a dorm room. She talked about something much more real: a cushion. A little help with credit cards. Maybe a semester or two at community college, some … [Read more...] about Reverse Mortgage, No Trust: How Families Lose the Home They Worked a Lifetime For
When the Bills Stop Making Sense: Early Alzheimer’s, Silent Financial Danger, and How to Protect the Home You Built
Evelyn Johnson sat at her kitchen table with three different notices spread out in front of her. “Past due.”“Account suspended.”“Final notice before collections.” Her daughter, Monique, watched her trace the words with her finger like they belonged to someone else. Evelyn worked thirty-five years at a hospital in Culver City, raised three kids, bought a modest home, and kept every bill paid on time. Now the water bill confused her. The bank app startled her. The numbers no longer lined … [Read more...] about When the Bills Stop Making Sense: Early Alzheimer’s, Silent Financial Danger, and How to Protect the Home You Built
When Alzheimer’s Hits Home: Protecting Caregivers, Grandkids, and the Family Home
On a gray December morning in Inglewood, Angela sat at her mother’s kitchen table with two stacks of paper in front of her. On the left: notes from the neurologist, a new diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s, and a reminder to call the memory clinic. On the right: a folder stuffed with old life insurance policies, a will from 1999, and a handwritten note that read, “Make sure the kids finish school.” Her mother, Dolores, spent 35 years as a nurse at a South L.A. hospital. She raised three kids, … [Read more...] about When Alzheimer’s Hits Home: Protecting Caregivers, Grandkids, and the Family Home
When Holiday Moments Become Wake-Up Calls
Families in Inglewood, from La Brea to Prairie, see these kinds of moments during the holidays all the time—missed ingredients in a signature recipe, confusion with who’s bringing what dish, getting lost on the short drive from church to home, bills piling up on the counter because “I’ll get to them later.” Those small slips can act like flashing red lights. They don’t just raise medical questions; they raise urgent legal ones: Who pays the bills if Mom can’t? Who talks to the … [Read more...] about When Holiday Moments Become Wake-Up Calls
