Meissner Ruggles Thompson, Inc. Legal Blog

The quick answer to that question is to get an attorney involved.  It is important to do the amendment correctly so that your wishes are honored when the trust is administered.  Here are things to consider: The amendment must strictly comply with the process required...

This is a question that comes up often with both my estate planning clients and my probate estate clients.  In both cases, the first question is “What is Separate Property?” The question of distribution of separate property only comes up if the person is married or in...

Divorce is a difficult and emotional experience that affects multiple aspects of your life including your finances, property, and legal agreements. One of the most important considerations during a divorce is estate planning. As soon as you are contemplating filing...

Tips for Choosing the Right Trustee Choosing a Trustee is never an easy task.  Who can step into your shoes and pay your bills and take care of you if you are unable to manage your finances? Who will take on the burden to wind down your trust after you have passed...

I have the discussion of who is entitled to a copy of a trust typically while I am meeting with the client to sign their documents.  The answer depends on if your trust is revocable or irrevocable. While the trust is revocable – typically during the lifetime of the...

We estate planners love to use acronyms and one that comes up in planning is CUTMA which stands for California Uniform Transfers to Minors Act – California’s version of the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act.  A quick explanation of what a CUTMA does is that it allows money...

I occasionally have the situation where my married estate planning clients are dissolving their marriage or I have a new client who is in the middle of a divorce proceeding and they want to do some planning.  There are several considerations that must be considered...

This question has come up a few times lately when a co-owner of real property dies, and it is discovered that documents were recorded without the knowledge of the surviving co-owner that changed how the title to the real property is distributed. A recent client...

The answer is that it depends.  When this question comes up with clients because they are receiving an inheritance or litigation settlement proceeds, my first question to them is what type of Social Security benefits are being received?  If it is SSDI (Social Security...

I see this issue come up often in my practice where a conservatorship is needed for someone, but the people who have priority to be appointed do not want to act or even petition for a conservatorship.  If there is no family member or friend willing to act as...