Starting a family is not a financial decision. You do it because you love your spouse, you love the idea of having kids, you have always wanted to be a parent or for some other variation on this theme. Maybe it's always been a life goal of yours to have kids. You're...
Newport Beach Estate Law Blog
It can help for children to have outside work experience
You own a family business. For your child's entire life, you have assumed they would take over that business. They're counting on it. Do you just want to get them a job at the company as soon as you can?Naturally, this is a personal decision that your family needs to...
Update all beneficiaries at the source, not in your will
Do you have any financial documents with a beneficiary, e.g., a life insurance policy? Maybe you have a retirement fund with a beneficiary who is supposed to get the contents of that fund when you pass away.As you write your will, you may think it's easy to adjust...
4 estate planning questions to get started
Estate planning is something you have never addressed because you just did not know where to get started. Now you're thinking you absolutely want to get a plan in place. What should you do first?To begin, just start by asking yourself a few basic questions. These can...
3 interesting modern business succession topics
The business world is changing, and that can impact a family's succession plan. When much of the family's wealth is tied up in a family business, getting it right is important. Here are three crucial topics to keep in mind.1. Lines of succession should be clear....
A concerning trend shows women don’t make financial decisions
Are you married, in an opposite-sex marriage? If so, how do you and your spouse make financial decisions? Who tends to handle the finances more often?For instance, perhaps you are a woman and you tend to let your husband make big financial decisions. Maybe he pays the...
Estate planning after getting married again
You got married 20 years ago, had children and got divorced. Now you're getting married again. Is it time to think about estate planning? Do you need to create a plan or update the one you have?This is absolutely something to think about. If you don't, experts warn...
Staying in your home to leave it to your children
You want your children to have your house after you pass away. However, you do not want to give it to them as a gift in advance because you plan to live there until you pass away. Likewise, you don't want to sell it to them. So, if you just stay in the home and wait,...
Do employees stay as your business changes hands?
As you prepare to move on from your business, you start thinking about your employees. Do they now face an uncertain future? Or will they stay with the company?Every situation is different, but remember that even many third-party buyers want to keep key employees, if...
The terms of a trust specify how the money can be used
When creating a trust, you likely have a specific goal in mind. How the trust accomplishes that goal depends on the terms that you put in place. Those terms define how the money can be used.For instance, some people who have trusts in their name want to use them to...
