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 moreYou know the old saying, “You can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Unfortunately, this adage rings true for many surviving spouses, who are simply not up for the stress of administering an estate or trust after their spouse dies. Unfortunately, failing to begin or complete administration can cause even … Read more
The estate tax applicable exclusion amount has been a constant uncertainty the last few years. First, the estate tax was entirely repealed in 2010. At the end of the year, Congress retroactively created a $5 million applicable exclusion, set to expire at the beginning of this year. Then, on the brink of returning the applicable … Read more
The federal government uses a number of mechanisms for paying claims and benefits in its various programs. It may come as no surprise, but many agencies duplicate each other’s’ efforts by providing the same services, sometimes even to the same people, using different systems. Additionally, due to the laws Congress passed relating to various agencies, … Read more
The Supreme Court has heard arguments regarding the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California’s Proposition 8, but people on both sides of the issue will have to await the decisions, due out in June. The cases focused on the level of scrutiny the laws ought to receive and the Constitutionality of the laws, … Read more
When you are completing your estate plans, there are certain assets that will need special consideration. Some assets that require special consideration, like a primary residence, are covered in most estate plans. Careful consideration of how to treat the home may promote future eligibility for Medi-Cal or VA Aid & Attendance Non Service Connected Disability … Read more
During the last several years, the estate tax applicable exclusion amount has been on a steady, upward march. It is now $5.25 million per person ($10.5 million for married couple with proper planning) and is indexed for inflation. With such a generous exclusion amount, the Obama administration is seeking to close “tax loopholes,” including certain … Read more
One of the top reasons many people put off estate planning is because they do not believe they are old enough to begin worrying about what will happen upon their deaths. People who are relatively young, healthy, and in good shape would rather not concern themselves with who will take care of their children upon … Read more
The Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA), which administers a litany of VA benefits, including the Aid & Attendance Non-Service Connected Disability Pension to veterans has been plagued by persistent backlogs throughout the Obama administration. Despite significant efforts to curb the backlog, it is increasingly worse and even worse than the VA assets. According to the … Read more
In recent years, aging individuals have more and more options for how to live, depending on their healthcare needs, social desires, financial health, and other factors. However, when communities are targeting the older population to become residents, should the community be obligated to provide emergency care to its residents? The question was raised by a … Read more
Even when beneficiaries want to agree to a certain allocation of assets, it is often very difficult to actually put the agreement into effect. This is especially true when the agreement is contrary to the rules of intestate succession (i.e. who inherits when there is no Will or Trust) or terms of the decedent’s Will … 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: My mother is 82 and still lives alone. Over the last year, she has become noticeably more forgetful. She repeats stories, sometimes f...
Dear Mr. Miller: My mother passed away recently, and I have been named the Successor Trustee of her trust. I expected to be sad after losing her, but ...
Dear Mr. Miller: About ten years ago, my husband and I paid an attorney to create a Living Trust. We signed all the documents and put them in a safe p...
