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 moreWhen you create a revocable living trust, you designate trustees to handle the assets contained within the trust. In the majority of cases, you will name yourself (or yourself and your spouse) as the initial trustee. When doing so, your financial affairs suffer minimal obstruction since you will be the settlor, beneficiary, and trustee with … Read more
Last week a tragedy in sleepy Newtown, CT rocked the nation as a killer claimed the lives of 26 people in an elementary school, his mother, and himself. The sheer atrocity of the act has brought gun control and mental health to the forefront of political debate. It should be noted that the shooter has … Read more
I once heard a joke that went, “The last check you ever write should be to the undertaker and it should balance.” Of course, the joke is funny because doing so would be nearly impossible, if not irresponsible. Since it is impossible to know when you will die, it is impossible to know exactly how … Read more
During the recently concluded presidential election, we were consistently reminded of how dysfunctional the relationship between Democrats and Republicans had become. With the threat of the fiscal cliff looming, it seemed especially important that we, as voters, make the right choices in the election. At stake were the estate tax, the Bush era income tax … Read more
Hoarding has become a hot topic recently thanks in part to the TLC show, Hoarders: Buried Alive and the A&E Show, Hoarders. Although many people watch these shows for entertainment, the reality of this disease is not entertaining at all. People who compulsively collect things often create virtual tunnels through their living space, which is … Read more
As the year quickly approaches an end and the holiday season is upon us, many veterans of all stripes are eagerly awaiting their VA benefits. For veterans caught in the VA’s bureaucracy and ever-growing backlog, it can be incredibly frustrating to wait months for the benefits due to you. However, there are many more veterans … Read more
Estate planning does not need to be simply about passing on the wealth you have accumulated during your life to your heirs. As Black Friday reminds us, this season is often marked by obsessive shopping and consumerism. It is easy to think of the next month as simply a time for buying. However, during the … Read more
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. Getting together with family and friends is always great. As another year draws nearer to a close and we have experienced the Thanksgiving holiday and its expression of gratitude for the things in our life, large and small, that bring us joy, I would like to take the … Read more
With the troubled economic times we have faced, many people believe that estate planning will be unnecessary. They offer reasons, such as “My house is under water so there will be nothing left,” or “I don’t have an estate.” Especially savvy legal consumers might say, “My estate is worth less than $150,000 so no probate … Read more
For many elderly individuals, the possibility of requiring a skilled nursing facility either for long-term care or following a health crisis is a very real concern. Skilled nursing tends to be very expensive; when it is required for long-term care, it can be financially devastating. Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) provides some of the funding necessary … 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...
