Online resource center to help you explore these key issues, and others, regarding your estate.

Practice Areas

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.

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VA Pension/Aid & Attendance/Medi-Cal

Mr. 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.

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Probate & Estate Administration

Mr. 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.

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Elder Law Articles

Cutting While Expanding Medi-Cal?

By merv,

In 2011, California lawmakers passed AB 97, which would cut Medi-Cal  reimbursement rates by 10% beginning June 2011.  The California Hospital Association (CHA) and other Medi-Cal providers sued, alleging that the cuts violated other state and federal laws relating to appropriations, healthcare, and agency procedure.  Since that time, the CHA has been successfully keeping the  … Read more


Planning for a Record Lottery Payout …

By merv,

Someone has won $590.5 million in a record Powerball drawing.  So far, there are only two certainties about the winner: the person bought the ticket in Florida and the person has a lot of brand new tax issues to consider.  In addition to the large chunk of money seized from the winnings for income tax,  … Read more


Memorials are For Remembering…

By merv,

Military service carries a number of benefits for veterans during and after their time in the service.  As a nation we strive to take care of veterans, from education to medical care.  As veterans, it is important to recognize and take advantage of the benefits that exist, such as VA Aid & Attendance Non-Service Connected  … Read more


Time to Pay the Piper!

By merv,

You’ve heard the expression, “He who pays the piper calls the tune.”  Other similar iterations are “He who rents the flat chooses the curtains,” or simply, “The money talks.”  Regardless of your choice of expression, they boil down to one thing: when money is involved, the person holding it makes the determination of how to  … Read more


Heaven on Wheels!

By merv,

Southern California loves its cars.  California’s traffic congestion is well-known throughout the country despite our extremely wide roads.  Car companies specifically advertise to San Diego consumers with special car colors and SoCal editions of certain models.  Like many of our other assets, cars may be worth next to nothing, or more than some people’s houses,  … Read more


The Shift in Investment Strategy…

By merv,

Inherently included in your estate plan will be some tax planning concepts.  Even as the imposition of estate tax becomes less relevant for the vast majority of people, other tax questions are on the rise, both during estate planning and during trust administration.  Particularly with increased taxation on investment income, conventional wisdom may prove to  … Read more


How Well Does Medicaid Improve Health?

By merv,

A recently updated study may indicate that Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) is not actually as effective at improving health as originally thought.  However, people who receive Medicaid often feel healthier and are happier about their healthcare than individuals without Medicaid.    The study comes from researchers of the 2008 Medicaid expansion in Oregon, which expanded the  … Read more


Should I Leave My A-B Trust in the Dust?

By merv,

The answer to this question will depend on a lot of your particular family and estate circumstances.  A-B trusts are only useful for married couples.  If you created your A-B trust for primarily non-tax purposes, then it may still be wise to keep the structure.  For example, if you have children from prior marriages or  … Read more


Is Medi-Cal Changing?

By merv,

Since last year, the status of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) has been somewhat murky in media coverage.  Many of the benefits of Obamacare have already been implemented.  Security for health insurance plans, coverage of adult children until age 26, and the requirement that coverage be extended to individuals with pre-existing health conditions are among  … Read more


Will My Son Contest My Trust?

By merv,

Introduction Problem–Lawsuits and Challenges Safeguards-For the Appointment with the Attorney Safeguards-The Family Meeting Safeguards-No Contest Clause Estate Planning Review Dear Mr. Miller: Introduction: I have a Living Trust that leaves everything to my two kids. But I am not dividing it equally between them. The daughter has been very helpful to me in my golden  … Read more


About Living Trusts

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.

Merwyn J. Miller, J.D.

  • Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law
  • Co-Author of legal text book and of “Don’t Go Broke in a Nursing Home
  • Teacher of law courses at public and private colleges
  • Continuing Education Instructor for attorneys
  • Columnist for largest regional newspaper in San Diego County and professional journals for 15 years, Contributing author to the book “In Your Service: The Veteran’s Friend”
  • Masters Degree in Financial Services - Estate Planning
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Journals
News
08-21-2024

Are Online Living Trusts a Problem?

Dear Mr. Miller: I’m a senior living in Southern California.  I have a house and $500,000 divided pretty equally between cash and securities. ...

08-05-2024

Do I Really Need a Living Trust?

Dear Mr. Miller: My Dad has a really small estate and does have a Will.  He lives in one of the rural counties of California.  But my brother is tel...

06-24-2024

Travel Insurance–Should You Get It?

Dear Mr. Miller: I have a question about travel insurance.  I am traveling to Europe late this year and I am so confused as to what to purchase and h...

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