A common theme when it comes to the settlement a decedent’s estate is the beneficiaries expecting to receive their expected inheritance immediately.  Unless a beneficiary is also the executor or successor trustee, generally beneficiaries have no concept of tasks required to properly settle a decedent’s estate including taking inventory of the assets, obtaining appraisals of […]

If you have a social media account such as Facebook or Twitter, there is no doubt you are familiar with the fundraising phenomenon known as the #IceBucketChallenge.  The goal of the challenge is to support research and awareness of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” which is a progressive neurodegenerative […]

A few weeks ago marked the 10th anniversary of the one and only time I sat for the California Bar Exam.  It was on my mind because a friend of mine was going through the process for the first time.  I thought about the stress she must be going through.  The nervousness of checking into […]

Initials listed after a professional’s name often designate accomplishment, title, and authority.  While the use of “M.D.” for doctors and “Ph.D.” for professors is widely understood, the initials commonly present after attorneys’ names are less known.  Below is list of the most common legal titles and their meanings. J.D. “J.D.” refers to “Juris Doctor,” “Doctor […]

My friend and colleague, Travis Long, is one of the best accountants I know.  Like me, he has a column in the Cedar Street Times and he is committed to educating the public about taxes and other related topics.  Also like me, he occasionally strays from the focus of his columns to write about various […]

One of the most popular stories in sports over the past few months has been the controversy surrounding Donald Sterling, the (former?) owner of the National Basketball Association’s Los Angeles Clippers. Mr. Sterling was caught on tape making offensive comments. The NBA reacted by assessing a $2.5 Million fine, banning him for life from the […]

Marcel Proust’s protagonist in his epic work, Remembrances of Things Past, bites into a cake dipped in tea which instantly “reveals” volumes of childhood memories containing the “essence of the past.”  I had a similar experience a few days ago at Staples Center in Los Angeles.  Instead of a delicious treat, the trigger of my […]

The revocable living trust is the most common estate planning instrument.  While trusts accomplish many goals, one basic purpose of a revocable living trust is to solve the problem of title to an asset being held in the name of someone who is unable to act due to mental incapacity or death.  In general, without […]

When I first started practicing law, one of my supervisors told me, “If you have a question, chances are the answer is in the Probate Code.”  The California Probate Code is the section of law that controls almost all aspects of estate planning, from the creation and interpretation of trusts to the default inheritance rules […]

I was never a big comic book fan.  However, when I was fourteen I spent the entire summer in Central Oregon.  In search of entertainment, I discovered Captain America at a local comic book shop.  I declared Captain America to be my favorite comic.  Although at the time there was a Captain America movie, it […]