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 it comes to household finances, many couples assign one spouse to take care of the money. That person balances the checkbook, makes sure the bills are paid, and sets the budget. It is part of the divide and conquer paradigm that makes households, and businesses for that matter, work efficiently. In any couple, though, … Read more
Estate planning does not only distribute property on death. You may also determine who will raise, rear, and care for your minor children. In many cases, married couples assume that their spouse will take responsibility for the children. Married couples are also more likely to die together in a common accident than others. For divorced … Read more
The world is changing so quickly around us that it can be difficult to understand or even take a guess at what the future holds. One of the inherent difficulties in estate planning, of course, is that the law changes almost every year along with your personal financial and family situation. The old adage that … Read more
Planning your own funeral may seem like a daunting task, but it is also an area rife with problems for surviving family members. We often think about how an estate plan may affect our loved ones and whether it will create strife. However, particularly when a parent dies, siblings may have trouble determining how “nice” … Read more
In what is quickly becoming a semi-annual display in governmental incompetence (this is the fourth since 2011), we are bracing once again for a government shutdown, debt ceiling debate, and budget crunch. The government will shut down due to its failure to create a budget on October 1, 2013, if it has not created one … Read more
Power of Attorney Not What Daughter Expected Introduction Living Trust vs Living Trust Package Medi-Cal Recovery and the House Solution to Medi-Cal Recovery Statutory Financial Powers of Attorney Advantages and Disadvantages of Statutory Form Customization for Gift Giving Power What Attorney Should Cover in Interview Conclusion Dear Mr. Miller: Introduction: Last month my father had … Read more
When a death in the family is imminent, potential beneficiaries often want to know what they will receive and when. It is a natural part of wanting to plan one’s own finances and, when other family relationships are strained, to make sure others are not taking advantage of an ill family member. However, speaking to … Read more
Amidst the continued attempts to repeal or defund Obamacare, California is moving ahead with Covered California, the new state-run health insurance exchange, which could have a major impact on Californians’ health care insurance options. It is important for you to be aware of the provisions of Obamacare that apply to you, particularly if you are … Read more
When you create your revocable living trust as part of your estate plan, the trust is only worth the assets actually contained within it. For most individual estate planners, their primary concern is whether the real estate is properly funded into the trust. This means that, typically, all property, wherever located, must be titled in … Read more
The value of your assets is important at nearly every stage of your estate planning process. Knowing the value of your estate in terms of it gross value, which is the total value of all your assets added together, and its net value, which is the gross value minus any debts, can help determine what … 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.
Part One: What Is Fair? Dear Mr. Miller: I have three adult children and am struggling with how to divide my estate. My oldest daughter has done very ...
Dear Mr. Miller: My husband and I recently completed our estate planning. We now have a Living Trust, Wills, Powers of Attorney and other documents. O...
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...
