The home is the jewel of the assets, the dream of most people. It is the prize of the family and treated with great respect in most of our laws. So, how does a Living Trust and Estate Planning fit in with home ownership? Answer: In many more ways than you are aware of. Through…
Frequently Asked Questions Contesting an A-B Trust Q: My father had an A-B Trust with my stepmother in a blended family. The Trust provided equal shares among the four children, me and my sister and two stepbrothers, on the death of both parents. Our dad died last year and my stepmother had the Trust amended…
For most of us, pets are more than animals. They’re loyal companions and beloved members of our families. Because of that special bond, it’s important to plan for their care in the event that we become incapacitated or pass away. One effective way to ensure their well-being is through a pet Trust, a legally enforceable…
The following are additional documents or arrangements that you should consider prior to incapacity or death. To incorporate these important provisions into your Estate Planning documents, please contact Stephens Law Group at jes@jackstephens or call (858) 792-0909 for an appointment. Blessings,Jack E. Stephens, J.D., LL.M
Properly planning your estate and trust is essential to ensuring your assets for your loved ones. Most people consider financial accounts, real properties, and personal properties when funding their trusts but in a world where everything is digitalized, have you thought about your digital assets? What happens to your social media accounts when you’re no…
As of 2025, Apple holds a prevalent user base of over 2.35 billion people globally, many storing important information in their Apple devices and iCloud. Users have two options on how to handle this information once they’re gone. A family member can request access to an account after the user’s death or a user can…
Google is a common proprietor of our correspondence, documents and projects through tools like Gmail, Docs and Slides. So what happens to all this data once someone passes away? Thankfully, Google has offered a solution within their settings where users can assign a legacy contact, who will receive a list of data chosen to be…
Although Instagram is under the Meta umbrella, its post-death account management options are far more minimal than Facebook’s. When a user passes away, they are limited to two possible actions for their account. The first option is memorialization. In this case, a loved one can request here for the account to remain on Instagram with…
Despite the rise of other media platforms, Facebook remains a dominant leader as the most used social media platform worldwide. One of its most thoughtful features for users are the many capabilities that come with the legacy contact feature. As a legacy contact, one can write a pinned post, respond to new friend requests, update…
If you currently own twenty-five percent (25%) or more of a business entity you must file a report of personal information (BOI Report). If the entity was formed prior to January 1, 2024, you must file a BOI Report by January 1, 2025. If the entity was formed on or after January 1, 2024, and…
If you are leaving your home to a child you should amend your Living Trust for a specific bequest with other provisions to avoid the impact of Prop. 19. Your child may inherit your home without property tax reassessment under certain circumstances. For this to occur, specific requirements must be met to acquire the Parent-Child…
The Trust Protector are new provisions that are designed to keep your Living Trust out of court proceedings such as Trustee/Beneficiary contests. More specifically, a Trust Protector may have the following authority. The Trust Protector (hereafter T.P.) is not active in the managing of the Trust. He/she would be similar to a referee of a…