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 moreOriginally, John Doe was a person with an unreported off-shore bank account, who may be subjected to substantial tax penalties for failing to disclose their foreign assets. However, for the last year the John Doe summons (which, essentially goes after people whose identities are unknown and unspecified), has been targeted toward people who failed to … Read more
The calls for more Romney tax returns may be based in a lot of motives: playing politics, distraction, a desire to force the Republican nominee to live up to his father’s ideals. Whatever the case may be, it certainly is not purely making an argument about the state of the tax structure, because enough can … Read more
You should always consult an attorney to discuss your particular circumstances, desires, and plans in order to have an estate plan that fully meets your needs. However, as we round into a fifth year since the stock market crashed, I understand that the thought of legal fees is occasionally more intimidating than contemplating your own … Read more
Each of the presidential candidates, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, has given a differing view about the future of Medicare and Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California). Each of the candidates argues that their plan will save money. However, a lot of confusion continues to exist over whose plan saves the most for seniors, and whose plan … Read more
Military and veteran charities help veterans obtain the benefits to which they are entitled, such as the VA Aid & Attendance Non-Service Connected Disability Pension or put veterans in touch with other professionals and organizations that can help them. Other charities help with reintegration, treatment, and other issues that may arise in a veteran’s life. … Read more
NBC launched a new show called Stars Earn Stripes in which eight celebrities, many of whom are reality TV veterans, compete alongside military veterans in a variety of military training exercises. Each of the celebrities is supporting a cause that champions military veterans and their causes. Although the controversial show waged an extended battle to … Read more
When considering your distribution in your estate plan, there are often obvious choices: your spouse, your children, and your grandchildren are the most frequent beneficiaries. However, your lawyer will generally ask you to think of all the people closest to you, and even some you hope to know who aren’t born yet, and assume you … Read more
Often clients think of their estate plan as a set of documents dictating how their property will be distributed and who will take care of it. Many also realize that with the recent changes in the estate tax, far fewer people are affected by this tax than were before the Bush presidency. In fact, the … Read more
The estate tax issue has basically been tabled. Senate Democrats pulled estate tax from their tax proposal to extend the Bush tax cuts for those making less than $250,000 per year. Evidently, the issue is too politically sensitive for politicians to handle; they would rather wait until after the election to create legislation. However, in … 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
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...
