Death certificates in California will record the decedent’s gender as “female, male or non-binary”

Most people want to take care of their loved ones regardless of how much money they may have. Those who are wealthier than others often use Trusts to distribute money to their loved ones in a way that:

1. Avoids the expense, hassle and time of probate;
2. Maintains their privacy; and
3. Helps them avoid paying certain taxes.

Gone are the days when remains could only be buried; now there are many creative options on the market. If one of these options piques your interest, please proceed with caution—we have not checked to see if the services are legitimate. We do not endorse these products and websites and we are not affiliated with any of these businesses. While we are not sure if they are legitimate, they are definitely interesting and are a testament to human creativity!

Only you can decide if a Trust is right for you, but here are a few of the most common reasons people find a Trust helpful.

Most transfers (sales) of real estate trigger reassessment of the property by the county assessor, which usually means an increase in property taxes. Will transferring your house into your Trust trigger a reassessment and then higher property taxes?

You purchased a new house, and you want to make sure that it goes to your loved ones instead of “to the state” when you die. What is the best way to do that?

As with most adventures in life, we rarely plan for the end while we’re at the beginning, but every parent (new or seasoned) has the responsibility to choose someone to care for their minor children if they are no longer able to do it themselves. In California, this person is called a Guardian, and the nomination of a Guardian is appropriately included in your Will.

At some point in your life someone else may have to make decisions for you about your health care. If you have named an Agent in your Advance Health Care Directive, the person you have chosen will have the first priority for making health care decisions for you when you can no longer make those decisions for yourself. Does your Agent know your values well enough to make good decisions about your health care?