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