“Our young children are our lives and our greatest blessings. They mean everything to us and everything we do is with them in mind. They are our past and future put together, and they reflect all of our hopes and dreams combined. As parents of little ones ourselves, we know full well the deep love…
Time-effective and cost-efficient, alternative dispute resolution gives the parties involved more flexibility and control over the process and outcome of business-related disputes; i.e. partnership, employment, or contract disputes. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is essentially any method of resolving disputes outside of the courtroom without litigation and is the preeminent approach to dispute resolution. Historically, parties…
One thing I hope for Jiya and Sonam is that they get to travel the Earth far and often. Traveling is a healthy form of disruption that we all could use. Traveling reminds us of how little of a spot on the globe we actually occupy. It forces us to accept that there are other…
The primary goal of your estate plan is the overall protection of wealth and assets in the event of your death or incapacitation. It ensures your assets may be distributed, as you see fit, through a will or trust agreement. However, in order to accomplish that goal, it is vital any and every asset is…
Beginning a business partnership can be an exciting time whether you are a veteran tycoon or an amateur entrepreneur. A partnership is a popular way to structure and finance a new business and brings about new challenges, shared visions, and reason to celebrate the smallest of victories. No matter how successful your business is or…
At its heart, an estate plan is deciding what would happen to your property and wealth in the time following your incapacity or death. It identifies who you would like to manage your assets, the beneficiaries of said assets, and can establish your final wishes in regards to how those assets will be distributed. Estate…
Since we opened our doors back in 2015, we have never once increased our prices. That’s pretty much unheard of in our industry and something we are very proud to have been able to offer to our clients for so long. Beginning in January of 2019 though, we will be expanding our estate practice as…
And what a year it has been! Sonam turned 1 this past weekend and it marks a full turn around the sun for all of us. Our baby girl is walking, talking and getting ready for Dodgers baseball! At this time last year, Sonam’s birth coincided with the Dodgers making the World Series, and here…
Touted as one of the most important changes regarding data privacy protections in the last 20 years, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect on May 25th, 2018 for the entirety of all 28 member states of the European Union (EU). The goal of the GDPR is protection for all EU citizens from…
Whether having recently married or you’re about to take the plunge, you more than likely have a lot on your mind. Wedding plans, family plans, and an entire lifetime together to think about. However, one thing you may not be thinking about is how your new marriage can and most certainly will affect your current…
Any startup, be it a small family business or an endeavor into Silicon Valley, needs funding. They also have an understandable desire to raise their needed capital with as few legal hurdles as possible. The problem is that startup fundraising is a particularly regulated process that requires companies to be in compliance with the Securities…
If you’re like many business owners, you have likely imagined your company becoming a household name. One way to do this would be to franchise your business model, allowing third parties to operate and expand your established business into new markets while utilizing their own capital and supervisory efforts. To reach that level of success…
If you or your spouse are over 55 years old, there might be some big tax concerns you have when it comes to moving. First, you’re worried about the large tax on capital gains. (But maybe you qualify for the $250K/$500K home sale exclusion). Second, you probably bought your home at a lower price and if…
As of this past January, Jiya has revolved around the Sun 3 times and Sonam already a quarter turn. As Jiya aptly says, “I growed up, Papa.” Recently, she’s been asking how old I am, and when she hears me repeat a number that’s higher than what she can count to (currently she tops at…
PRIMARY HOMES If you are married and own a primary home, chances are you own it as either “joint tenants” (JT) or “community property with rights of survivorship” (CPWROS). Both are forms of joint ownership, so is there a difference? Oh yes! A big difference. In California, you get what’s called a “step-up in basis”…
The concept of step-up in basis is a staple in estate planning. Planning decisions must take this concept into account, as the potential benefits of preserving step-up in basis for your heirs is tremendous. The step-up in basis is a method around paying capital gains taxes, which is a form of income tax. Generally, if…
BACKGROUND: There can be many reasons why you need a trust – but here are 2 of the most common. The first reason is to avoid probate. Probate is a court process that occurs after you die when you don’t have a trust, when your home, bank accounts, and all other assets will be held by…
Asset protection planning is an important step to take in safeguarding your hard-earned assets from being lost, inadvertently, because you overlooked something important. The most foundational level of asset protection is to plan for what will happen to your assets in the event of your incapacity or death because you are 100% guaranteed to have…
Life insurance is a purchase only made once or twice in a lifetime, so it is common to be unaware of the ins and outs of policy protection. The potential pitfalls are significant, however, so review the following tips before purchasing a life insurance policy. Get the Right Type and Amounts Life insurance policies are…
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about Bitcoin. But, you may not know what it is or how it affects your estate planning. Or, maybe you’ve got yourself some Bitcoin, but haven’t given thought to what would happen to your digital currency in the event of your death or incapacity. So…
We want you to feel comfortable discussing your legal issue with us, so we offer a free consultation to learn about your problem. Contact us today to setup a time to come in and talk with our team.