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 moreDeciding how to dole out property after your death is neither an easy nor particularly fun task. As a result, many estate planners create their initial documents and then leave them alone, unchanged, for their remaining lives. However, all the documents in your estate plan should be reviewed regularly in order to avoid unfavorable consequences … Read more
You’ve heard the expression, “He who pays the piper calls the tune.” Other similar iterations are “He who rents the flat chooses the curtains,” or simply, “The money talks.” Regardless of your choice of expression, they boil down to one thing: when money is involved, the person holding it makes the determination of how to … Read more
Upon the death of a person, an administration of their assets occurs to ensure that the proper individuals receive their due shares. Depending on the amount of assets and the type of administration, the process may be more or less complex. In cases where an individual died with relatively few assets (under $150,000), abbreviated procedures … Read more
You 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
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
Although the first thought you have when you find that a loved one is deceased is probably not to call your attorney, it is among the first steps in an estate or trust administration. Taking care of the remembrances, such as a memorial service or funeral, and some time for mourning is certainly warranted and … Read more
Introduction Where to Get a Task List for Free Inventory Assets Marshal Assets The Tricky Stuff Summary Free Report Introduction: My Dad just died. My Mom passed a few years ago. My sister and I are the only beneficiaries and we will be inheriting approximately $500,000 each, made up of a house, stock and bonds, … Read more
law offices of merwyn j. miller 191 calle Magdalena, suite 270, encinitas, San Diego County, ca 92024, 760-436-8832 Why Is it So Involved to Settle an Estate? Introduction What Needs to be Done Level of Formality Illustration Moral Introduction: A daughter appointed to handle her deceased Mom’s $700,000 estate recently asked me if she could … Read more
Introduction What Needs to be Done Level of Formality Illustration Moral Introduction: A daughter appointed to handle her deceased Mom’s $700,000 estate recently asked me if she could just distribute everything to herself and her brother. She didn’t want to go through all of the gobbeldey gook and wanted to get this all done in … 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: I own a 30% interest in a family corporation that holds real estate in California. Someone mentioned that I have to file some type ...
Dear Mr. Miller: My Dad is 70 and is badly in need of assisted living but the cost would quickly wipe him out. He has $3000 in SSI and another $1500...
Dear Mr. Miller: I know I need a Living Trust so that my $1.5 million house won’t go through Probate when I pass. I don’t want my two ...
