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Recent Posts in Estate Planning Category

What is the difference between lapse, ademption, and abatement? And why should I care?

In estate planning and inheritance law, some important concepts can change who inherits what from you. Lapse, ademption, and exoneration all relate to the distribution of assets after a person’s ...
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Does This $190 Million Cryptocurrency Mistake Make You Cringe?

This common #EstatePlanningMistake is another example of why we encourage our clients to make their passwords accessible (digitally, or on real paper) to the Executor of their Will, or the Trustee of ...
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Is it true that Aretha Franklin died without a Will?

Yes. According to court records filed this week by her family, the Queen of Soul joins the long list of celebrities (think of Prince, Sonny Bono, Jimi Hendrix) with no written Will or estate plan. ...
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When a CA senior with a joint bank account dies, do the funds belong to the decedent's estate or the co-signer?

California courts have long grappled with this issue -- when a California senior dies with joint bank account, who does the money belong to? Is it the decedent's estate, or the surviving joint ...
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Can my Will leave a gift to someone on the condition that he or she get divorced?

In California, probably not. It's fairly common for a person to want to leave an inheritance to someone, "but not if he or she is still married to that monster." A gift conditioned on ...
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What's the difference between a Settlor, Trustor, and Trustmaker?

A good question. And the answer is quite simple. As used in estate planning law, the terms " Settlor ", " Trustor " and " Trustmaker " are all interchangeable. They all ...
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Where can I get a free copy of "Seniors and the Law"?

Another good question from many of our California clients; and here's the answer: http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Public/Pamphlets/Seniors.aspx Seniors & the Law — A Guide for Maturing ...
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Is my Will a "Pour-Over" Will?

A " Pour-over Will " is one that leaves your otherwise probatable assets to your Trust. But rarely will you see the words "Pour" or "Over" in the title of your Pour-Over ...
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Do I need a Living Trust?

We get this question a lot. And the California State Bar Foundation (one of our favorite providers of free, easy-to-read consumer guides on many legal subjects) does a good job providing the answer: ...
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Do I have to give a copy of my Trust to the bank?

Your Trust is a private document. It usually contains confidential information about you, your family, and even the people you're disinheriting. You probably don't want the bank knowing who ...
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What does it mean to "fund" a Trust?

When attorneys talk about "funding a Trust", they're talking about the process of transfering assets to the Trust. A Trust (sometimes called a Family Trust, Living Trust, or Revocable ...
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What is a Trust?

Okay, pop quiz. Which of the following is the best definition of a "Trust"? A legal entity that holds title to your assets; The fiduciary relationship between a Trustee (legal title) and a ...
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Do I Need Estate Planning?

When you think about it, estate planning is the process of making decisions now so that other people don't have to guess what you want done later (at your incapacity or death). A good estate plan, ...
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Making End-of-life medical decisions in California

Every good estate plan includes some type of medical Power of Attorney or Advance Directive. This document appoints a "health care agent" to make medical decisions for you if you become ...
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Free California Statutory Will

Do you need a California Will, but can't afford the legal fees? The California State Bar publishes a FREE, statutory Will that you can complete yourself. It can be found in California Probate Code ...
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Top 3 Reasons Parents Disinherit Children

No joke -- these are the top 3 reasons parents tell us why they are choosing to disinherit a child: He/she never writes or calls. He/she married a monster. He/she never paid back our personal loan. Oh ...
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Agoura Hills estate planning, probate & trust attorneys

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Stephens Law Group - Agoura Hills Estate Planning Attorney
Located at 30200 Agoura Road, Suite 260 Agoura Hills, CA 91301. View Map
Phone: (818) 707-8200
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