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

PROBATE is long, costly, and sometimes, contentious. Further, and in certain circumstances, it cannot be avoided. But this article isn't about the horrors of probate, but instead, about the silver-lining that lives within the realm of probate, that most people are unaware of. The Spousal Property Petition: The spousal property petition is a legal process in California that allows surviving spouses or domestic partners to affirm or assume full ownership of certain property wit

"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

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

"You've done the work--now reap all, not just half, of the reward." A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is like the Cinderella of the corporate world. Unlike its bratty, sometimes stubborn, step-sister, the Corporation, it has humble beginnings and comes with user friendliness that makes it a popular option for all types of business owners. "Then what's the Problem?" An LLC's primary appeal is its limited liability. Within a world of ambulance chasers, slip and falls, and f

People, particularly young people, think about death about as much as they think about IRAs, 401k, life insurance,...well, you get the idea. Truth is, unless you're on your death bed, mortality is just one of those things, we as people don't spend a lot of time thinking about. For death- out of sight, out of mind, seems to be what we're comfortable with. LIVING TRUST vs. HAVING NO TRUST When you die, so do your assets. Or at least some of them. Without getting into legal