San Jose Law Blog

Trusts are an increasingly popular tool that parents used to structure the inheritance they leave for their children and even protect the kids from certain dangers. Your family doesn't need to have millions of dollars in assets to make a trust a worthwhile tool when...

A transfer-on-death (TOD) deed is one of the easiest ways to make sure that the family home stays out of the probate process when you die -- but will it be around forever? Initially, the law that permitted TODs in California was set to expire already. Thanks to Senate...

The most basic reason that you need an estate plan is that you own assets -- which make up your estate. You probably want to pass those assets to your heirs, whether those are people related to you, friends, partners, or even a beloved charity. Without an estate plan,...

If you found it challenging to select an executor to administer your estate, then you may find it equally challenging to identify someone as a trustee to manage any trust you set up. There are, however, specific attributes that you should look for in any prospective...

Estate planning in an age where everything is digital is a unique kind of challenge. While you may have quick access to reports about your finances or easy access to images or receipts, it can still be tricky to make sure everything is just right in your estate plan....

What happens to child support if the paying parent dies? If your ex-spouse or partner is paying child support, you expect that support to continue until your child reaches adulthood. But what happens if your co-parent passes away? If they had an estate plan in place...

Many people assume that estate planning only involves drafting a will. It's far more involved than that. Health care directives, powers of attorney and asset protection planning all form part of this process. How common is it for individuals to update their estate...

San Jose, CA, residents with substantial assets often feel concerned about passing wealth to their children upon death. Too many restrictions can cause hardships for both adult and minor kids. Too few restrictions can lead to unchecked spending until the inherited...

Do you have a gun collection? Maybe you’re a hunter and you have weapons you’ve used for sport, or maybe you just happen to have a few firearms that are considered family heirlooms. Either way, your estate plans may be missing the mark if you don’t have a gun trust in...

Many people know that creating trusts can benefit their estate plan. This is a way that you can transfer assets to your loved ones without having to involve the probate courts after you pass away. There are many different types of trusts that you can establish. All of...