Estate Planning Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Jason S. Buckingham, Attorney & Counselor At Law

The thing about copies of estate plan documents

by jasonsbuckingham | Mar 21, 2022 | Estate Planning, FYI

One of the many advantages of using a trust (rather than just a will) for your estate plan is that, if an original trust cannot be located, then (subject to a limited exception) a copy of the trust may be used in its place under the Evidence Code, which often allows...

How long does it take to create an estate plan?

by jasonsbuckingham | Mar 18, 2022 | Estate Planning, FYI

One of the big reasons that many people never get their affairs in order is because they (mistakenly) believe that the process will take forever, and involve gathering their entire financial life. And to be fair, traditionally, estate planning lawyers would give...

Where should you keep your estate plan documents?

by jasonsbuckingham | Mar 17, 2022 | Estate Planning, FYI

I tell all of my clients that they can keep their estate plan documents at home, in a locked safe. Sometimes, a client will ask: “Really? Not in a safety deposit box at the bank?” Here is why it is important to keep your original estate plan documents in a...

Qualities a successor trustee / executor / attorney in fact should have

by jasonsbuckingham | Mar 16, 2022 | Estate Planning

Who you choose to be in charge of your affairs in case of incapacity or death is obviously an important decision with far reaching consequences. Here is a list of qualities to keep in mind when deciding who to leave in charge of your affairs: Honesty — this quality...

Inheritance and taxes

by jasonsbuckingham | Mar 15, 2022 | Estate Planning, FYI

Everyone understands that death and taxes are unavoidable. Often, clients ask me about the tax issues that may apply to their loved ones who inherit assets. Here is a very summarized overview. There are four main kinds of taxes that often come up when someone...

When to think about estate planning

by jasonsbuckingham | Mar 14, 2022 | Estate Planning

This is the first of what I hope will be several informative blog posts about estate planning. Today (March 14, 2022) is the first business day after the CDC’s most recent pronouncement that we can start doing things the way we did back before COVID. While I am...