How to find a good estate planning attorney
Choosing the right attorney to trust with your estate plan is one of the most important decisions you can make — here is what to look for.
Read article →
Practical articles for California families and business owners — written and reviewed by Michael K. Elson.
Choosing the right attorney to trust with your estate plan is one of the most important decisions you can make — here is what to look for.
A living trust should be customized to match each client's estate circumstances, particularly regarding current tax implications.
Why moving property into a revocable living trust avoids probate, keeps your affairs private, protects against creditors, and preserves step-up in basis for your heirs.
Commercial helicopter operators face virtually unlimited liability. Here is how pairing an LLC with a living trust shields personal assets, reduces estate tax, and preserves the business for heirs.
How an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT) can generate tax-free cash to pay estate taxes — and how a SLAT provision lets a spouse access the cash value during lifetime.
Nevada LLCs look attractive on paper — low annual tax, no state income tax, private ownership records. For California real estate, though, most of that advantage disappears. Here is why.
Many pre-2018 A-B credit shelter trusts now work against surviving spouses — locking away assets and costing a full step-up in basis. Disclaimer trusts and portability elections are the modern fix.
Tenant lawsuits against landlords are rising fast — and most insurance policies exclude the claims that matter. Why organizing your rental as an LLC is the cheapest insurance you can buy.
The LLC protects your personal assets from business lawsuits; the living trust preserves the estate from probate and estate taxes. Here is how they work together — and when to use which.
Ask Michael directly — free 30-minute consultation, no obligation.