Blog
Notes from the firm.
Estate Planning
Apr 21, 2026
Special Needs Trusts in California: When and Why
A direct inheritance can disqualify a beneficiary with a disability from means-tested public benefits. A special needs trust solves that problem — but only if it is set up and funded correctly.
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Estate Planning
Mar 10, 2026
Trust Funding for California Real Property: Step by Step
Real property is the asset that most often makes a California revocable living trust worth doing. A walkthrough of how funding works, what the deed says, and what does not change for property-tax purposes.
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Estate Planning
Jan 27, 2026
California's Small-Estate Affidavit: When Probate Is Not Required
California allows certain small estates to be administered without a formal probate. A short overview of the small-estate affidavit, what assets it covers, and where it fits — and does not fit — into a planning conversation.
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Estate Planning
Dec 16, 2025
A Year-End Estate-Plan Review: What Actually Needs to Be Updated
Most clients review their estate plan once a year, around tax season. Here is what to actually look at — the changes that genuinely matter and the ones that mostly do not.
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Estate Planning
Nov 4, 2025
Stepped-Up Basis: Why It Matters in California Estate Planning
Property that passes at death generally gets a "stepped-up" cost basis under federal tax law. For long-held California real estate, the difference can be hundreds of thousands of dollars in capital-gains tax.
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Estate Planning
Sep 23, 2025
Beneficiary Designations: The Step Even Lawyers Skip
Beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance override your will. Outdated or contradictory designations can quietly defeat an otherwise careful estate plan.
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Estate Planning
Aug 26, 2025
Funding Your Trust: The Step That Decides Whether It Actually Works
A signed trust without funding is mostly paperwork. Here is what funding means, why it matters, and the asset-by-asset checklist most California estate plans need to follow after the signing meeting.
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Estate Planning
Aug 19, 2025
Why a Will Alone Is Often Not Enough in California
A will is better than nothing, but in California it usually still puts your family through probate. Here is why a revocable living trust is so often paired with a will, and how the two work together.
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Estate Planning
Jul 22, 2025
Why Summer Is a Good Time to Start an Estate Plan
Most California estate plans get started in two windows: after a death in the family, and at year-end. Summer is a quieter, less-pressured window — and that tends to produce better plans.
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Estate Planning
Jul 11, 2025
The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" Permanently Sets the Federal Estate Exemption at $15M / $30M
Signed July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act permanently raises the federal estate, gift, and GST tax exemption to $15M per individual ($30M for married couples) effective January 1, 2026, indexed for inflation. A practical look at what changes for California families.
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