Jason S. Buckingham

Attorney & Counselor At Law

Painless, affordable, fast estate planning

(707) 745-2200

Standard disclaimer re: posts

Standard disclaimer re: posts

The information provided below is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation. If you would like to schedule a free consult call, you can contact us by clicking here.
What estate plan documents do you need?

What estate plan documents do you need?

This post is a follow up to my last post about the various estate plan documents and what they do. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to estate planning. People do not need a full-blown estate plan at all times. Why not? Because estate planning is all about...
Estate plan documents and what they do

Estate plan documents and what they do

One of the most common questions about estate plans is: What’s the difference between a trust and a will? In California, the difference is big if you’re a homeowner. Basically, having a properly prepared and funded trust means avoiding Probate, while having just a...
Inheritance math

Inheritance math

Here’s a common scenario in making trust distributions: The trust estate contains cash (most commonly from a home sale), and some items of valuable personal property like a car. We have two or more “residual” beneficiaries who will receive equal...
Uninformed beneficiaries

Uninformed beneficiaries

Beneficiaries are often uninformed when it comes to estate administration. There are two things beneficiaries should know: (1) as beneficiaries, they have rights during the administration; and (2) the administration will take time, so a little patience goes a long...
The uninformed trustee

The uninformed trustee

In a previous post, I wrote about qualities a successor trustee should have to ensure a successful trust administration. While it should go without saying, there will be problems when a successor trustee tries to administer a trust estate if they lack knowledge and...
Trustee and beneficiary rights

Trustee and beneficiary rights

The real risks for most ordinary estate plans come from a lack of knowledge, which can cause your loved ones unnecessary stress in dealing with your affairs, or worse, can allow you or your loved ones to be taken advantage of by unscrupulous people. You can protect...