Online resource center to help you explore these key issues, and others, regarding your estate.

Practice Areas

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.

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VA Pension/Aid & Attendance/Medi-Cal

Mr. 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.

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Probate & Estate Administration

Mr. 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.

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Life is So Much Better when We Work Together!


By merv,

  Filed under: Blog, Estate Planning

The law, the markets, your family, and politics are in a more or less constant state of flux.  Chances are, you have a team of financial professionals to help you deal with these constant changes, and don’t even think about it!  As you work with your tax and financial planners, usually annually, consider including your estate planning attorney in those conversations.  Promoting communication among your advisors can help ensure that your estate plan meets all of your needs.  Often certain advisors will have a better idea than others about particular areas of your life.

For example, perhaps you are considering purchasing investment property.  Many of the news pundits believe that the real estate market is taking an upward turn and you might think it is a good time to purchase a rental property to provide steady income.  You will almost certainly notify your tax advisor of the change; you are required to report the rental income you receive on your tax return.  However, ensuring that the property is in your trust is an equally important step.  Depending on the value of the property and your financing, it may also require changing the way your entire estate plan is written due to estate tax implications.

Alternatively, you may be considering a charitable gift annuity, which can provide steady cash flow and a charitable deduction.  However, there are other alternatives that could leave a legacy, such as an IRA plan wherein you provide lifetime income to your children and the remainder goes to charity.  You might also consider setting up your own charitable organization or a charitable remainder trust.  Only collaboration with your estate planning attorney, accountant or tax advisor, and financial planner can fully assess this type of situation to determine which alternative would be the most appropriate.

Whatever you are considering: having another baby, starting your own business, buying insurance, your estate planning never occurs in a vacuum.  Ideally you should create your first version of your estate plan when you have a child or buy a house, whichever comes first.  From there, your income, net worth, and priorities will continue evolving.  Your plan should always work for you tomorrow; if you would like heroic efforts to keep you alive and, in the event such efforts are unsuccessful, a guardian for your children, then that is what your estate plan should reflect.  However, as your children grow or your preferences change, you should update your estate plan to reflect those new realities and preferences, just as you regularly plan your financial life when circumstances evolve.

Your financial advisor and your tax advisor can help your estate planning attorney come up with solutions that meet your needs at any stage of your life.  Similarly, your estate planning attorney can work with your financial and tax advisors to ensure that you have access to your money if you need it, tax breaks now or in the future, and an effective plan to deal with whatever comes your way.  With a complete picture, we can all ensure that your retirement, end of life care, health care, and tax goals are met.

Estate Planning: The Price of Organization, Rewards, Gifts, and Wondrous Tax Things… FREE REPORT: This complimentary report, focused on Estate Planning, is comprised of many of Mr. Miller’s articles from his long running column for the largest regional newspaper in San Diego County. This report will guide you through the questions surrounding getting your estate planning in order.

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About Living Trusts

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.

Merwyn J. Miller, J.D.

  • Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law
  • Co-Author of legal text book and of “Don’t Go Broke in a Nursing Home
  • Teacher of law courses at public and private colleges
  • Continuing Education Instructor for attorneys
  • Columnist for largest regional newspaper in San Diego County and professional journals for 15 years, Contributing author to the book “In Your Service: The Veteran’s Friend”
  • Masters Degree in Financial Services - Estate Planning
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