Trusts and Estates Section

Email to estate planning attorney attaching estate planning questionnaire was insufficient to constitute a valid trust amendment. Read more

Transferring real properties from a corporation to a revocable trust resulted in a reassessment of the properties because the trust and corporation did not have identical ownership. Read more

It’s hard to be a successor trustee. The common preference of most settlors is to name a non-professional – typically a family member or friend – as the successor trustee. Unfortunately, few of these successor trustees have the time, interest, or training to manage the complex responsibilities required of a trust administration. Read more

A direct contest of an original trust instrument resulted in forfeiture under an amendment that did not contain a no contest clause because the assets the challenger sought to inherit pursuant to the amendment were given under the original trust instrument. Read more

When a client passes away, one of the most important items on our to-do list is to file certain tax returns.  In this episode of Trust Me!, we will be discussing an overview of things to consider during the period of post-death administration, mainly focusing on filing the federal estate tax return (Form 706).  Read more

In this episode of Trust Me!, Bette Epstein discusses the magic of the trust and estate mediation process to informally resolve disputes, which includes party engagement, active listening, patience and problem solving. Read more

California just passed a directed trust statute! In this episode of Trust Me!, Michael Rosen-Prinz and David Khanjyan will go over the basic structure of a directed trust, along with the specifics of California’s new directed trust statute. Read more

The purpose of the webinar will be to discuss Assembly Bill No. 1663, (A.B. 1663),"Protective Proceedings," new legislation that became effective January 1, 2023. Read more

In light of recent developments, some estate planning strategies have become especially popular. Read more

The Speaker will discuss how property tax can impact an estate plan and things practitioners should watch out for. Read more