Blog

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Understanding Conservatorships: When and Why They Are Necessary

Conservatorships can be essential for protecting individuals who are unable to care for themselves or manage their finances. Understanding when and why a conservatorship might be necessary can help you make informed decisions for yourself or your loved ones.

Mon Nov 04 2024

compass and map

The Complete Guide to the Probate Process

Probate is the legal process of administering a deceased person's estate, ensuring debts are paid and assets are distributed to beneficiaries. Understanding the probate process can help you navigate it more smoothly and ensure your loved one's estate is handled correctly.

Mon Oct 28 2024

elderly couple with their grandchildren

The Importance of Having a Will: Protecting Your Legacy

A will is a critical component of estate planning that ensures your wishes are honored and your assets are distributed according to your preferences after your death. Despite its importance, many people overlook creating a will, which can lead to complications and unintended consequences for their loved ones.

Mon Oct 14 2024

couple meeting lawyer

The Importance of Estate Planning for Incapacity

Estate planning is often seen as a tool to manage wealth and assets after death. However, a key but overlooked aspect of estate planning is preparing for the possibility of incapacity. Incapacity is when an individual cannot make decisions about their own affairs due to physical or mental health issues, which can happen due to accidents, illnesses, or aging. Without proper estate planning, a person’s financial and healthcare decisions are in the hands of courts or unprepared family members.

Thu Oct 03 2024

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Personalized Estate Planning: Tailored Solutions for Your Unique Needs

Every individual and family has unique needs when it comes to estate planning. At Solan, Park & Robello we offer personalized services to ensure your plan fits your specific situation.

Tue Sep 24 2024

dad talking to his two sons

It's Time to Have the Talk with Your Kids About Estate Planning

Raising children is a commitment. We know it’s our responsibility to guide them through life’s biggest ups and downs. We have to teach them how to walk, how to talk, how to eat, and so much more. As they grow into their teenage and young adult years, we have to sit down and talk with them about how to act in certain situations.

Wed Sep 18 2024

document with the title "last will and testament"

When is a Will Enough?

Our team believes every adult should have some form of estate plan in place. Planning for the future protects yourself, your money, your assets, and your heirs (unless you don’t have any).

Mon Sep 09 2024

surprised middle aged man

5 Surprises You Don’t Want to See in a Parent’s Estate Plan

Our lives are so busy now that many of us might not realize certain crucial aspects of our parents', grandparents', or other aging loved ones' lives are being overlooked. It’s easy to assume everything is in order until we discover that an estate plan has not been updated to reflect current circumstances.

Wed Sep 04 2024

gift with pink ribbon

Capacity to Make Gifts and Do Estate Plans

The ability to make gifts and devise estate plans is a crucial aspect of individual autonomy, yet it hinges on the legal concept of mental capacity. This exploration delves into the nuances surrounding capacity in the context of gift-making and estate planning.

Wed Aug 28 2024

person writing a checklist

Your Step by Step Guide to Estate Planning

Estate planning can seem overwhelming, but with the right guidance, you can secure your family's future. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to begin your estate planning journey.

Mon Aug 19 2024

notes and pencils organized on a desk

How to Prepare for California Probate Court

If you have older relatives or a loved one who recently passed away, you may be wondering if you will receive any inheritance, and, if so, how you go about getting it. In most cases, the process of settling someone’s estate goes through California probate court. Going through any legal process involving the courts can be a challenge, and it is often made even more difficult by the fact that you may still be grieving the loss of a loved one. Preparing ahead of time will help you know what to expect and ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible.

Mon Aug 12 2024

four pineapples

4 More Trusts to Help Skip Out on Probate

In the past, we wrote about 3 types of Trusts that could help your loved ones avoid probate. When someone dies without a trust their estate often enters into probate, where a Judge will determine what happens to the belongings and money they left behind. If they create a Will, the Judge will follow the included wishes on what to do. However, court fees, taxes and attorney fees are all payable from the probate estate before any of it is passed along to your loved ones.

Wed Aug 07 2024

woman with elderly mother

Understanding the Role of a Conservator

A conservatorship is a legal concept in which the financial affairs of an incapacitated person, or even the regular affairs of their daily life, are overseen by someone else. That other person is called a “conservator” and has to be appointed by a judge. Within a conservatorship, the incapacitated person is referred to as a “conservatee” or a “ward.”

Fri Jul 26 2024

5 tick marks on a chalk board

5 Things to Know About Incapacity Planning

One of the best ways to keep your business and family in order is to make sure you’re ready for the unexpected. Estate planning is a guide to ensure your hard work is left in the right hands after you’re gone, but it also serves as an important tool for when you’re incapacitated and unable to handle everything on your own. We want to make sure you’re prepared for everything.

Mon Jul 15 2024

the numbers 1 2 and 3

3 Reasons to Create your Estate Plan Right Away

At Solan, Park & Robello, we get it. We know that Estate Planning might not sound like the most exciting thing in the world. Estate Planning, after all, is the process of working with an attorney to create a legally-binding plan for what will happen to your property and belongings (known as your estate) and your remaining money (known as your assets) after you pass away. Even when you’ve realized that it’s not just for the rich and famous, it might get put on the back burner.

Wed Jul 10 2024

three hot air ballons

Choosing Your Executor: Three Alternative Options

When you create an estate plan, you choose an executor, also known as a personal representative, to name in your will. This person will be held responsible for several duties after you pass away. He or she will be in charge of taking the plan you made in your will and enacting it in the real world. They will make sure your estate’s debts and taxes get paid, will pass your assets on to your beneficiaries on your behalf (making sure it’s well-maintained until that’s possible), and will represent the interests of your estate in court.

Mon Jun 24 2024

person writing at a desk

When Should You Update Your Estate Plan?

Getting your estate plan in order is a huge task, so when you’re finished it can feel relieving and fulfilling. Congratulations on putting the important work in to protect your assets and secure the future of your hard work, but the work doesn’t stop there!

Wed Jun 12 2024

piggy bank

A Guide to Funding Your Living Trust

We’ve talked about the many types of trusts and how trusts avoid probate, but there’s one key caveat: your trust has to be fully funded in order to be exempt from the probate process. As a quick refresher, probate is a court-mandated process of sifting through the details and assets of an estate and legally distributing those assets.

Tue Jun 04 2024

question mark on a chalkboard

Where Does My Estate Go If I Don't Have Beneficiaries or Heirs?

When it comes to estate planning, most people leave their assets in the hands of their children and loved ones when they die. Not everyone decides to start a family (or, in some cases, children can predecease the estate).

Fri May 31 2024

Young adults working at a coffee shop.

All Young Adults Should Have These Legal Documents Signed

We all remember the feeling of turning 18. You have officially transitioned into adulthood with newfound freedoms accessible for us to bask in. There is often a sense of belonging to the wider world around you but with those new freedoms come new responsibilities.

Wed May 22 2024

elderly couple sitting on a bench by the beach

How Is Incapacity Determined In California?

California law defines incapacity as an inability to make decisions or perform certain acts when at least one of the mental functions referenced in CA Prob. Code § 810-13 (2017) is impaired or lacking.

Thu May 16 2024

Young woman embracing and elderly woman in a park

What is a Conservatorship?

Conservatorships have long been an important legal tool for families and individuals. While they’ve been around for far longer, the term has been popular in the media over the last few years with high-profile cases like Britney Spears catching attention.

Wed May 08 2024

Woman on the phone confused

How Are California Estate Disputes Settled

As California estate planning attorneys, the team at Solan, Park & Robello has seen it all. We stress the importance of crafting a thorough estate plan to prevent risk through the probate process.

Fri May 03 2024

Family discussing and taking notes at a table

Who Has the Right to Contest an Estate?

At Solan, Park & Robello, we constantly advocate for the importance of estate planning. All adults should have a plan for what will happen when they die or become incapacitated. Who will make important decisions in your place? Where will your assets go? Who will be in charge of ensuring your wishes are carried out? These are all questions that need answers sooner rather than later...

Fri Apr 26 2024

Happy adult granddaughter and senior grandmother having fun enjoying talk sit on sofa in modern living room

When Can a California Conservatorship Be Established or Terminated?

Conservatorships play an important role for families and individuals in California. These legal tools assign a conservator to manage the affairs of a minor or adult in need of such management...

Sun Oct 01 2023