Bay Area Estates and Tax Law Blog

Probated wills in California sometimes result in interested parties – heirs, beneficiaries, loved ones, charitable foundations, close friends and more – being ecstatic with the outcome. That happy state of affairs generally means that expectations were realized or even exceeded. Sometimes, too, completely unexpected benefits materialize.

Of course, that is not always the case. Life routinely augments upsides with disappointment, a reality that is often underscored in estate planning matters.

Disputes between siblings, after a parent passes away, are often the main thing that parent wants to avoid. What they care about, more than anything else, is their family. They do not want some fight over money or assets to make it so that children never speak again. They know it happens. They don't want it to happen to their family.

What can they do? Do they just have to hope things work out and that no estate disputes arise? Certainly not. There are steps they can take in advance to prevent this outcome. Here are four of them.

November is closely linked with many notable things each year. The month spells winter’s onset for real in many parts of the country. People start counting down the remaining days of the year and begin to focus closely on year-end holidays and family get-togethers. And, of course, Thanksgiving is a central asterisk on the calendar.

November also provides an annual spotlight on an additional topic, namely, the ravaging scourge of Alzheimer’s disease. That ailment reportedly afflicts five million or more Americans who live with its steadily debilitating and mind-robbing symptoms.

One reason why many prudent California estate planners forgo executing do-it-yourself contracts and forms is their uncertainty as to whether such documents are tightly tailored and comprehensively address their unique planning needs.

Likely, they don’t, which is an oft-demonstrated fact that prominently emerges when it comes times to settle an estate. Concededly, over-the-counter boilerplate offerings are sometimes sufficient tools for responding to straightforward and generic issues. The real-life intricacies involved in most plans, though, demand close attention from a proven professional to be fully identified, optimally dealt with and periodically updated as required.