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 moreThe Opening Ceremony for the Olympics was a testament to British culture, documenting its triumphs and failures. In an unorthodox move, Danny Boyle, the director of Slumdog Millionaire and the Opening Ceremony, chose to spend a significant amount of time highlighting the two crowning achievements of the United Kingdom as he sees them: children’s literature … Read more
For many Californians, their home is their biggest asset and, in many cases, tax issues related to the sale of the home drive their estate plan. Strategies such as a QMap or QVap trust may help deal with the capital gains from sale. Planning for a beneficiary who will qualify for the Parent-Child Exclusion will … Read more
As California moves forward with Medi-Cal expansion under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, the state is worried that it may not have enough physicians to absorb the newly insured patients. As part of the Act, states are instructed to expand their Medicaid eligibility provisions, although some states are opting out of following instructions. … Read more
In honor of Comic-Con this week, I thought we could discuss some zombie estate planning, or rather, undead estate planning. Recently, Adam Chodorow, a law professor at Arizona State University, proposed the idea that a huge gap exists in estate tax rules for zombies. Although brain-hungry zombies, as they exist in pop culture, will hopefully … Read more
Federal benefits, such as VA Aid & Attendance Non-Service Connected Disability Pension benefits and survivor benefits, Medicare, and Social Security are often ruled by a litany of definitions, describing the meanings for such basic words as “child.” In the case of Astrue v. Capato, the facts of which were described in a former article, the … Read more
As if there weren’t enough reasons for avoiding probate already, we should now prepare for access to the probate court to take even longer than it already does. Recently, the San Diego courts announced that they will be laying off about 250 workers throughout the court and closing several court rooms over the next two … Read more
We are holding workshops July 31 and Aug 2 at Shadowridge Country Club. You can afford the best care without going broke! Do You Know the VA’s & Medi-Cal’s Hidden Secrets for Obtaining Benefits? This workshop focuses on the two government benefit programs that can help in this area and their best kept secrets. These … Read more
This week, as I and my family prepared our Independence Day festivities and enjoyed the fireworks (not the infamous 15 second ones!), I was reminded of why I do what I do. This country, like virtually all nations, is a product of war. Valiant service by our military was necessary to the success of the … Read more
One of the many concerns clients often have with their estate plan is designating a trustee for their trust. As the name indicates, it should be someone you trust implicitly to manage your financial affairs after your passing and, sometimes, during your life. For that reason, it should be someone who is “good with money.” … Read more
One of my colleagues got married this last weekend. I asked her how she met her husband and she told me a rather serendipitous story: A few months before a big move, one of her friends predicted that she would meet someone who would make her decision to go through with her move more difficult, … 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 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...
Dear Mr. Miller: I’m in my 90s now. I’m proud to say that I am worth $4 million. I’ve had a Trust for years. I have two kids, ...
