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 moreWe are going to cover Living Trust and Estate Planning myths in our newsletter next week. This is nothing like you have ever seen before. We are going to blow the top off the statements that you hear and read about in the popular press and from the hucksters. So if you want to discover … Read more
An important question I get asked all the time is how do I find the best Assisted Living Facility (ALF)? That question is often followed by something like this, “I know my dad needs assisted living and I want to get him the best option possible, but I’m not sure we can pay for it.” … Read more
Life insurance has long been a part of estate planning in the United States. Although life insurance does not need to be a part of every person’s estate plan, it can be incredibly useful, particularly for parents of young children and those who support a spouse or a disabled adult or child. If you have … Read more
Think your estate planning is done once you’ve gone to the trouble of making a will? Think again. All your hard work can be undone with the stroke of a pen when you open a bank, brokerage, or retirement account. Investors have the option of naming beneficiaries directly on a wide range of financial products. The … Read more
Limitations Definitions Trigger Example I’m my Mom’s Power of Attorney and I want to make gifts on her behalf to myself and my three sisters. This will help her get qualified for Medi-Cal. I’m my Mom’s Power of Attorney—I can do anything for her now—Right??? Limitations: Wrong! Your powers to act on behalf of your … Read more
This past Tuesday a bipartisan group of senators known as the “Gang of Six” unveiled their 10-year $3.7 trillion deficit-reduction plan. Under the Gang of Six’ deficit plan, reportedly, the Community Living Assistance Services and Support (CLASS) Act, the voluntary long-term care insurance program instituted by healthcare reform, would be repealed before it began. None of … Read more
Some say that since Congress raised the amount individuals can leave their heirs to $5 million and spouses can combine their exemptions up to $10 million without incurring estate or gift taxes, the A-B Trust is obsolete. This Wall Street Journal article: Does Your Trust Need a Tune up? discusses some of the issues. While there … Read more
What Does the New Estate Tax Law Mean to Me….. Part 1 Introduction History Exemption Amount What of the Future for the Exemption So What Should I do Introduction: You are probably aware that President Obama signed the Tax Relief Act on December 17, 2010. That law created a number of changes and updates that … Read more
ESTATE PLANNING MYTHS AND WHAT THE HUCKSTERS DON’T TELL YOU… Myth #1: A living trust allows you to protect your family because you control who gets your stuff. Myth #2: Probate is expensive often costing 5% of the gross value of your estate. Myth #3: Probates almost always have complications such as unknown debts or … Read more
You may have heard that owning property jointly will avoid probate. Probate is the court process of overseeing the distribution of your assets after your death. It can be expensive and time-consuming compared to trust administration or beneficiary designation. As a result, many people wish to avoid the process by naming their spouse or, in … 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...
