Online resource center to help you explore these key issues, and others, regarding your estate.
Mr. Miller has many years of experience in designing and implementing a comprehensive variety of Trusts, Wills, and other estate planning documents, as well as settling estates in the most expedient and appropriate method. Further, he counsels and assists clients on becoming eligible for VA benefits and Medi-Cal.
Learn moreMr. Miller has been active in the area of VA Pension and Medi-Cal for well over a decade. He uses various specialized types of Trusts as well as non-trust strategies to gain eligibility for his clients and save the family money.
Learn moreMr. Miller has been settling estates (both simple and complex) for well over 40 years. The starting point is always to create a strategy to settle the estate in the most efficient manner possible with a minimum of taxes. Often times the strategy created allows the family to bypass Probate Court proceedings.
Learn moreIn 1978 California voters approved Proposition 13 to rein in property taxes that had doubled in 10 years. The measure was the inspiration for an anti-tax movement that has taken hold of the public discourse in Washington and in state legislatures throughout the country. Prop 13 caps the county real estate property tax at 1 … Read more
October is breast cancer awareness month and the VA wants to make sure all female veterans talk with their healthcare provider about breast cancer screenings and schedule regular mammograms. Breast cancer affects so many of our family members and the VA, among many other fine organizations, are doing what they can to spread awareness and … Read more
We talk about elder law a lot on this blog because it’s such an important and growing area of the law that is constantly evolving based on the changing economic climate facing seniors. Over this last weekend Governor Jerry Brown signed the Elder Economic Planning Act of 2011. Ok, great, well what IS the Elder … Read more
If you’re like most of us your portfolio, especially your IRA and 401(k), have probably taken a large haircut. Even worse, if your portfolio included any significant chunk of financial services stocks and bonds (yes, I’m looking at you Bank of America, Citi Group, Morgan Stanley, et al.) your portfolio probably got more of a … Read more
Forbes magazine had a recent article about Legal Zoom, an internet company that “targets the high-volume, low-cost business of providing basic consumer and business documents.” According to the article, the legal establishment is up in arms about it. This situation reminds me of an incident when I was just starting out as a lawyer (the … Read more
All I seem to hear about these days is how difficult it is going to be to retire and how many of us will not have enough money with which to retire. What people overlook is the creative and adaptive nature of the baby boomer generation; we will be able to retire, it’s just some … Read more
A couple of weeks ago we talked about the basics of Medicare , such as what are the different parts (A-D) and requirements for qualifying and receiving benefits. The reality is most people don’t know much, if anything, about this government benefit, so don’t be ashamed if you’re one them! But it’s not too late … Read more
We are going to cover Living Trust and Estate Planning myths in our newsletter next week. This is nothing like you have ever seen before. We are going to blow the top off the statements that you hear and read about in the popular press and from the hucksters. So if you want to discover … Read more
Planning for government benefits is more important than ever. We have a heavily aging population and we are facing severe budgeting problems in Washington. This will probably result in government benefits (Medi-Cal, for example) becoming more difficult to obtain due to stricter qualification guidelines. Want proof. The latest U.S. Census Bureau brief on data from … Read more
About Living Trusts is hosted by the Law Offices of Merwyn J. Miller, as your online resource center to help you explore these key issues, and others, regarding your estate.
Dear Mr. Miller: I have inherited a house from my Aunt. The house is in the California Central Valley and is worth about $700,000. My Aunt als...
Dear Mr. Miller: I want to change my Dad’s Trust. We have debts up the wazoo. My husband couldn’t control himself at the gambling tabl...
Dear Mr. Miller: My Mom has lost it. She has no ability to make decisions or even understand. I had asked her to put me on her checking and saving...
