RJM LAWYER 

NOW, you might be too young, work too much, or just haven't had time to think about it, but there is something out there called "beneficiary designations" that you can use in lieu of a trust or will, and that will literally cost you nothing, other than half an hour of your time. Sound interesting? It should. Here's the breakdown: Beneficiary Designations go by many names: transfer on death (TOD), payable on death (POD), inheriting party, in trust for (ITF), etc. Whatev

The MAIN beneficiary of your Estate Plan, is your FAMILY. If you asked me 20-YEARS AGO about Estate Planning, I would have looked at you with a BLANK FACE. Fast-forward twenty-years, and I'm an estate planning attorney. Contrary to popular opinion, Estate Planning is not just a fancy word lawyers made up to add to their infinite lexicon of fancy words. Estate Planning is actually a functional word that embodies the process of controlling the what, when, and how your assets

"5-THINGS YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT ESTATE PLANNING" READER WARNING: IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED, OPEN-MINDED BUT ONLY WHEN IT ALIGNS WITH YOUR OPINION, AN IDEOLOGUE BUT NOT A GOOD ONE, OR THINK BAMBI'S MOM (SPOILER ALERT) SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN KILLED IN DISNEY'S CULT CLASSIC MOVIE ABOUT LOSS AND NEW BEGINNINGS, THEN YOU SHOULD STOP READING RIGHT NOW!......................................................... FOR EVERYONE ELSE, ENJOY! Foreword: As the title suggests, this BLOG

Before we jump into the confusing and sometimes convoluted world of taxes, gains, and trusts; let's start with something easy, you know, like introducing ourselves. I'll start! My name is Ruben J. Martinez, and as many of you know I am RJM Lawyer. Practice wise, I do a lot of things, but mostly, I do estate planning. It's kind of my thing. Everything from the trendy living trust, to the refined family trust, to the special needs, medicaid protection, pets, and life insu

"If Government Benefits Matter, then you need a Special Needs Trust!" As parents-- The perpetual question we ask ourselves is, "when we die, will my children be okay?".... "will they be taken care of?"... and "if I die today, will I have planned for tomorrow?" Some of us mull over this more than others, but regardless, we all think about it. After all, it's kind of our job, right? Special Needs Trust Defined: A special needs trust is a type of trust designed for a person w

Foreword: Listen! In no way am I saying MOMz is the anti-Christ. I mean, she's not even religious...kidding,...LOVE you MOM, but seriously, you might want to SKIP this blog. xoxo ALRIGHT, now that we have that out the way, let's dive into today's BLOG. PERSONAL GUARDIANSHIP: How it Works and WHY you should have one if you have MINOR children So WHAT is a Personal Guardian anyway? A personal guardian is essentially an angel from heaven that for reasons unknown cares for

The power of perception plays a vital role in our society, both personally and professionally. Just think, in the first few seconds of...