Articles Posted in Estate Planning

As a single parent, you constantly juggle numerous responsibilities while ensuring your children’s future is bright and secure. I understand that your primary goal is to safeguard their future. I’m Jonathan Alexander, an experienced Orange County Estate Planning Attorney, with a passion for helping individuals, families, and business owners protect their assets and loved ones.…

As parents, we all want to protect our children and ensure their safety and well-being. But life is unpredictable, and emergencies can happen when we least expect them. That’s why it’s important to have a comprehensive estate plan in place, especially if you have young children. Let’s explore the story of the Johnson family to…

In the picturesque communities of Orange County, California, life is often bustling with family events, career pursuits, and social engagements. With so much going on, it’s easy for families to put off important tasks like estate planning. But what happens when someone dies without a will or estate plan, also known as dying intestate? This…

A charitable lead trust (CLT) is a trust where assets are transferred to a trust for the benefit of a charitable entity.  The CLT then makes payments to one or more charities for fixed duration of time or for the lifetime of a selected individual.  When the CLT’s term ends, the remaining assets are transferred…

If you wait to long to establish an estate plan, upon your passing your heirs may be subject to the delay and expense of probate court.  We encourage our clients to plan early because it can be too late to establish an estate plan.  In California, in order to make a will or trust you…

To create a will in California you must: Be An individual at least 18 years of age or older. Be of sound mind, which means that you: Comprehend what it means to make a will. Know the nature and extent of the property you own. Can recall who your relatives are. Are in good mental…

A Spousal Lifetime Access Trust or “SLAT” is a special type of irrevocable trust.  A SLAT is created by one spouse for the benefit of the other.  The spouse who creates the SLAT is referred to as the grantor and the spouse who receives gifts from the SLAT is referred to as the beneficiary spouse. …

A QTIP trust or a qualified terminable interest in property trust is a type of irrevocable trust that allows the person who creates the trust (the Grantor) to provide for a surviving spouse during her life but also maintain control over the trust’s assets once the surviving spouse dies.  The QTIP may be set up…

An irrevocable trust is a type of trust that once created is not modifiable by the individual who created it (the “Grantor”).  In fact, this type of trust cannot be changed, amended, or terminated without the permission of the beneficiaries (the individuals or entities that receive, for example, money, property or other assets under the…

Did you know that it’s National Estate Planning Awareness Week?  In 2008, the U.S. Congress passed House Resolution 1499 designating the third week in October as National Estate Planning Awareness week.  According to Caring.com’s 2022 Wills Survey, over 66% of Americans believe that having an estate plan is important, but only 1 in 3 Americans…