An estate plan may still be legally valid without reflecting your life today. Learn when to review your trust, asset titles, beneficiaries, and decision-makers, and why Cheever Law recommends a review at least every three years. READ MORE
Wealth Can Fund a Special Needs Plan, But It Cannot Be the Plan
Wealth can provide financial security, but it cannot guarantee long-term care or access to important benefits. Learn how Special Needs Trusts, CalABLE accounts, government benefits, and thoughtful planning work together to protect a loved one with special needs. READ MORE
Can AI Create Your Estate Plan? The Risks Californians Should Know
Artificial intelligence can create a will or trust in seconds, but that doesn’t mean the documents will protect your family. Learn the risks of AI-generated estate plans and why California-specific legal guidance matters. READ MORE
Don’t Wait Until Tax Season: What to Ask Your CPA Now
October is a good time for business owners to review their finances and prepare for year-end tax planning. Learn what to discuss with your CPA, which decisions may need attention before December 31, and how those decisions can affect your business and estate planning. READ MORE
Your Parent Has a Living Trust. Can You Actually Step In When They Become Incapacitated?
Taking over as successor trustee involves more than being named in a living trust. Learn what California families need to know when an aging parent can no longer manage their affairs. READ MORE
What Is an Inventory and Appraisal in California Probate, and Why Does It Matter?
Learn how the California probate Inventory and Appraisal works, who is responsible for valuing estate assets, what the Probate Referee does, and why accurate valuations matter during probate administration. READ MORE
Your Passwords Are Not Your Estate Plan: What Happens to Your Digital Life If You Become Incapacitated?
Digital assets and incapacity are now part of modern estate planning. Learn why passwords alone are not enough and how California law affects access to online accounts if you cannot manage them yourself. READ MORE
Giving or Leaving Money to a Loved One With Special Needs: Why a Special Needs Trust Matters
A well-intentioned gift or inheritance can create unexpected problems for a loved one with special needs. Learn how Special Needs Trusts, UTMA accounts, beneficiary designations, SSI, and Medi-Cal should be coordinated before assets are transferred. READ MORE
Should I Name My Spouse or My Trust as My Life Insurance Beneficiary?
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
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