Depending on who you believe, Walter Van Buskirk Jr. was either a devoted son whose care allowed his mom, Ellen Van Buskirk, to live in her Santa Monica home until illness sent her to a rehab facility—or a ne’er-do-well who…
Post Category: Estate Planning
Grandma Can Amend Trust Despite False Beliefs
Is it real—or did grandma lack of capacity to amend a trust? It’s the painful question asked when a loved ones’ behavior seems to be on the edge of the shadowlands. It’s worse if its sad aftermath obscures a family’s…
Three Estate Planning Keys for Solo and Small Firm Attorneys
Do you know who would make decisions for you if you lost capacity? Have you designated guardians for your children to act if you’re not around? How confident are you that your assets will go to the right people, in…
Give It Away Now: Billionaire Went Broke Intentionally
He’s the “ultimate example of giving while living,” says Bill Gates, himself no slouch when it comes to charitable donations. Chuck Feeney pioneered luxury on the cheap with his Duty-Free Shoppers stores in airports all around the world. Decades of…
TV’s Wyatt Earp Fought Off a Mob of Unclaimed Heirs
Hugh O’Brian channeled his straight-shooting Old West lawman elsewhere once he became famous as TV’s Wyatt Earp. Inspired by an encounter with the humanitarian Albert Schweitzer, the actor created a youth leadership organization that remains one of America’s most prominent.…
Last Chance to Prevent Property Tax Reassessment for the Kids
Effective February 16, 2021, most parent-child gifts of real estate will be subject to reassessment thanks to Proposition 19. Subject to limitations, only the parent’s principal residence or farm will be excluded from reassessment if (and that’s a big if!)…
Trust Revocation Wordplay
There’s an old saying that remodeling a home is like pulling a loose string on a sweater—go too far, and it all unravels. Robert Cundall, John Martin, and Frances Diaz were neighbors and friends before things fell apart. In 2008,…
Timothy Disregards Dad’s Magic Words
Before he died in 1992, Norbert Eimer set up a family trust. Upon his and his wife’s death, everything was to go to their kids. A Power of Appointment allowed each child to pass on their inheritance to others through…
Dad’s Last Wishes Survive Tammy’s Last Stand
Frank and Louise Gomez’s love story sounds like something out of Hollywood. He proposed, she accepted. Yet before they could marry, Frank gets called up to go to war. Fearing that he may not return from Korea, Frank calls off…
Listen to Dolly: Get Your Empire in Order
We may always love her—but Dolly Parton is preparing for a world without her in it. At 74, the seemingly immortal country icon may be more popular than at any time in her 50-plus-year career, appearing everywhere from inspiring pandemic…
Trustee Has Consumer Credit Protections
After her sister Lou died, it fell to Maxine Gilliam to take care of her niece. Maxine became the successor trustee and took on the most rigorous fiduciary duties known to the law. The vast responsibilities of the job included…
Greedy Nephew Loses With Last Minute Power of Attorney for Life Insurance
A routine doctor’s appointment started it all for the family. During an exam, Ray Razo was told he had a serious condition and sent directly to a hospital for emergency tests. They learned he had the unthinkable: stage 4 pancreatic…