If you are in a blended family, you may believe the simplest estate plan is the fairest one: “I’ll leave everything to my spouse. They’ll take care of my kids.” That approach often works in a first and only marriage. If you and your spouse share the same biological or adopted children, the surviving spouse […]

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For some people, the term family meeting may not bring to mind a pleasant gathering where everyone shares fond memories and warm feelings. When someone says, “We need to talk,” it often implies that something is wrong or that tough decisions need to be made or discussed. However, in estate planning, future problems are exactly […]

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When someone calls an estate planning attorney asking for a “quick look” at their documents, the request usually sounds straightforward. Maybe the documents were created using an online service, and they want to “just be sure” the documents are sound. Perhaps there’s been a move to a new state and a question about whether the […]

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Steward—a term for someone entrusted with the care of something that does not personally belong to them—is commonly used in such realms as business, public service, and environmentalism. Conservationists may be referred to as stewards of the land. Business leaders may describe themselves as stewards charged with acting in shareholders’ best interests. Public figures refer […]

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When Anna Harp lost her father, Rudolph Clausing, she didn’t get to say goodbye. It was January 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her dad had been battling lung disease when he contracted the virus, and strict hospital protocols meant his family couldn’t be by his side in his final days. Anna was […]

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When planning for your death, there’s one issue you may not have thought about, but is so important to your beneficiaries: will your loved ones have to pay taxes on what you leave them? The answer isn’t straightforward because it depends largely on the types of assets you’re passing down, how much you are passing […]

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Beyond the practical purpose of transferring assets and reducing taxes, an estate plan reflects love, responsibility, and values. That emotional heaviness may be part of why many families avoid the subject. Pew Research reports that only about 3 in 10 US adults have created a basic estate plan (a will and a living will or […]

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Personal items accumulated over our lifetimes may be left in estate planning limbo when we pass away. You may have kept many personal effects and everyday items more for sentimental reasons than for financial value, such as your clothing, jewelry, books, quilts, collectibles, and religious items. Each item we leave behind tells part of the […]

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Key Takeaways Understanding the Landscape: What Makes High-Net-Worth Estate Planning Different? Romelia DeDe Soto, an experienced Estate Planning Attorney in Newport Beach, explains that planning for high-net-worth families involves more than setting up a basic trust and will. These families often have complex portfolios that include a blend of real estate, business interests, and financial […]

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For many Southern California families, real estate is the most valuable asset in an estate. But transferring property — whether a vacation home, rental, or primary residence — is rarely as simple as it looks. Without the right plan in place, families can find themselves in probate court, tax trouble, or locked in disputes with […]

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