Should your spouse receive your life insurance proceeds outright, or should the benefit pass through your trust? The right choice depends on how you want the money used, who you want to protect, and what should happen to any proceeds that remain later. READ MORE
Monthly Archives:: September 2026
Has Your Business Outgrown Its Legal Documents?
Your business may look very different from the company you started years ago, but do your legal documents reflect those changes? Here are the events that should prompt California business owners to review their governing documents, ownership arrangements, and succession planning. READ MORE
What Happens If You and Your Spouse Die at the Same Time in California?
What happens to your estate if you and your spouse die at the same time or only days apart? California law, your trust, survivorship provisions, asset ownership, and beneficiary designations can all affect who ultimately inherits. Here is what married couples should understand before the unexpected happens. READ MORE
Is Your Estate Plan Ready for an Emergency?
An emergency can leave your family making important medical, financial, and caregiving decisions with very little notice. Your estate plan should make those decisions easier, not harder. Here’s what California families should have in place before a crisis happens. READ MORE
Should You Leave an Inheritance in Trust for Adult Children?
Your adult children may be successful, responsible, and perfectly capable of managing an inheritance. That does not necessarily mean leaving everything outright provides the best protection. Learn how keeping an inheritance in trust can help protect family wealth while still giving adult children meaningful flexibility. READ MORE
What Happens to Your Business If You Cannot Work for Six Months?
What happens to your business if illness or injury keeps you from working for six months? For a business owner, disability planning involves much more than replacing lost income. Your insurance, legal authority, business operations, buy-sell agreement, and personal planning all need to work together. READ MORE
Life Insurance Beneficiary Review: Does Your Policy Still Match Your Estate Plan?
Life insurance is meant to protect the people you love, but a policy you purchased years ago may no longer fit your family or estate plan. Reviewing the coverage, beneficiaries, ownership, and trust provisions can help make sure the money reaches the right people with the protection you intended. READ MORE
California Small Business Legal Checklist: What to Review as Your Business Grows
Your business changes as it grows, but the legal, insurance, financial, and tax systems underneath it don’t always keep up. Use this California small business legal checklist to review what changed, identify gaps, and make sure your business and family are protected as you move into Q4. READ MORE
Naming a Trust as Your IRA Beneficiary: What the SECURE Act Means for Your Family
Naming a trust as the beneficiary of an IRA can provide valuable protection, but the SECURE Act changed the tax and distribution rules for inherited retirement accounts. California families should review whether their trust structure, beneficiary designations, and retirement planning still work together. READ MORE