Clik here to view.
Making house calls like a doctor….
I have had a couple of instances in the last few days where we have a new client where a house call will be in order. The client, or their spouse or child, ask “why.” They don’t want to spend the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Real Property Transfers After Death and The Tax Assessor’s Office
It sometimes seems that the real estate transfer forms which are required in a California probate do not work together. This is true. There are multiple systems working together and thus problems...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Trust Certification
I am often asked to help walk a client through a trust certification form. Either for a re-fi on their mortgage or a new bank account. After filling out 25 of those, or more, the last year I thought I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Estate Planning still a moving target
Estate planning and, in particular, estate taxes remain a moving target. Here’s a recent article from the New York Times highlighting this problem. I encourage you to check it out here. - John Palley...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Does a life insurance beneficiary change by divorce?
How would you feel if your evil ex-husband or witch of an ex-wife received your life insurance after you die? Talk about rolling over in your grave!? Upon filing for divorce, in California, there are...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cleaning up estate plan messes after death
“I can get a trust done for $500, on the back page of Rolling Stone magazine, so why should I pay you $2,000?” My answer is simply, “we will find out after you die how good your five hundred dollar...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Estate Planning second thoughts
A great article in Private Wealth magazine quotes yours truly! It is an article about the people that made large gifts at the end of 2012 to take advantage of the $5.12m federal gift tax exemption....
View ArticleClik here to view.
What do I do when I receive a notice of proposed action?
You have received a notice of proposed action in a probate real estate sale… now what do you do? You have options. Generally the notice says that you have until a date (15 days after the notice is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Getting your probate case approved in Court
Introduction I was on a CourtCall today appearing live, though by telephone, in the Lake County probate Court. As I waited my turn to speak to the Judge I thought about what everybody does while...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Probate Real Estate Auction
OBJECTING TO A NOTICE OF PROPOSED ACTION In a recent blog post I explained what happens in the probate real estate process. That post focused on how to respond to a notice of proposed action. Now,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Law Firm with actual PROBATE COURT EXPERIENCE
EXPERTS AND SPECIALISTS Every “probate lawyer” you talk to says they are a probate “expert” or a probate “specialist.” Of course few really are. When I say that I mean it because 1) I was a former...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lack of trust funding and the small probate estate
INTRODUCTION It seems a day does not go by without speaking to a potential new client regarding their parent’s trust not being properly funded. There are different reasons this happened but the end...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Husband and wife NOT as joint tenants and some options
INTRODUCTION I was presented a really interesting hypothetical recently. I thought it would make for a good blog post as there are a lot of intricate turns. It gets into issues of how to hold title,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Press Release – Ulises Pizano-Diaz
PRESS RELEASE June 24, 2013 Sacramento, CA. The Law Offices of Meissner, Joseph & Palley, Inc. is pleased to announce the hiring of Ulises...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Probate HORROR stories
The latest buzz amongst seminar givers, article writers and cocktail party know-it-alls, related to estate planning, is why you do not need a living trust. Or at least that is how many people hear it!...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Press Release – Leslie Kolafa
PRESS RELEASE June 24, 2013 Sacramento, CA. The Law Offices of Meissner, Joseph & Palley, Inc. is pleased to announce the hiring of Leslie Kolafa as an estate planning and probate attorney. Ms....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sacramento Estate Planning Council
I just renewed my membership to the Sacramento Estate Planning Council. I have been a member since 1995. Is your attorney? If not, why not? It’s a group of professionals dedicated to serving their...
View ArticleClik here to view.
ABA Blawg Nominations 2013
I work hard on this blawg (law blog) every week. Sometimes more than once a week. I know of many lawyers who follow it. Some of you I know and some I do not. I would really appreciate your...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Title your assets with precision
INTRODUCTION An estate planning attorney should be precise in their work. At times clients think we are over the top at our office when we re-do something. We explain there is a reason. If something...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lost Money Resources for Life Insurance
Many people know that you can search for lost money on the California Secretary of State website as well as similar sites in most every other state in the union. Also, foundmoney.com is another great...
View Article