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 moreOne of the primary goals in Medi-Cal planning is to allow your elderly family to receive the care they need without losing all of their assets in the process. Long term care is often extremely expensive, especially when it involves skilled nursing care facilities or in-home care. Medi-Cal eases the burden for the ill in … Read more
I have devoted a fairly significant amount of space on this blog talking about the importance of avoiding disputes related to your estate plan. From the articles here and here, you should be clued in by now that lawsuits over inheritances are no fun. Johann Kaspar Lavater once said, “Never say you know a man … Read more
Earlier this year, the maximum VA Aid and Attendance Non Service Connected Disability Pension benefit amounts increased for the first time in several years. On the heels of the announcement, President Obama promised to increase spending for the V.A. and veteran care during his State of the Union address. Yesterday (4/4), a hearing on the … Read more
In my last article, I covered some of the common pitfalls of attempting to avoid probate by, primarily, placing property in joint tenancy. I’ve saved the biggest zingers for this article. One of the major problems with this method of avoiding probate is the lack of creditor protection. Although generally clients who wish to put … Read more
Often clients ask whether putting accounts in joint names will avoid probate. The answer is yes, of course, and many people seem satisfied with the response. From there, they put everything in both spouse’s names and, sometimes, add their children to their home deed, their bank accounts, and their brokerage accounts. However, there is a … Read more
The lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (generally called “ObamaCare”) has finally made it to the Supreme Court. Today, (3/28) in the third day of arguments, lawyers on both sides of the issue will discuss whether the expansion of Medicaid is within Congress’s power to mandate state spending. There … 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
The Veterans Homes Fund could use your help. On your California income tax return (Form 540), you have the opportunity to donate all or some of your refund to various organizations. The CA Veteran’s Home Fund was added to income tax returns last year. In order to remain on the return, it must generate $250,000 … Read more
There are plenty of things that get better with time like fine wines and cheese. There are also plenty that do not necessarily improve with time: like unresolved family tension. These days, with the number of blended families, unresolved tensions lead to serious estate planning and administration problems. Even worse, the blended family issue can … Read more
Issues in women’s health have been hot in the news and the Republican presidential primaries lately. The current debate highlights a broader issue: women are different than men. Women suffer different medical problems and the same medical problems differently. Because March is Women’s History Month, the V.A. issued a number of articles and tips for … 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...
