Aretha Franklin left behind an extraordinary musical legacy, but no estate plan. The result was prolonged court involvement, family strain, and difficult decisions that could have been avoided with proper planning.

While online estate planning tools promise simplicity, they often overlook legal and personal complexities. An attorney-drafted estate plan provides clarity, lawful guidance, and support through probate when your family needs it most.

Estate plans should be reviewed regularly to keep up with life changes, shifting priorities, and evolving laws. At our firm, we proactively contact clients each year to ensure their plans remain current, effective, and aligned with their goals.

Revocable and irrevocable trusts serve different purposes in estate planning. Learning how they differ can help you make informed, strategic planning decisions.

Estate planning is not one-size-fits-all. While a will outlines your wishes after death, a trust offers greater control, privacy, and efficiency in managing assets. Learning the difference allows you to build a plan that minimizes stress and avoids unnecessary court involvement for your family.

How long does probate take in California? Clients ask this question constantly. The process is rarely quick and can take years, especially without proper estate planning in place.

Incapacity can happen at any age due to illness or injury. This article explains what incapacity means and why planning ahead protects your voice and your dignity.

Your estate plan should do more than distribute property. It should provide guidance, reduce uncertainty, and ensure your values are carried forward with clarity.

Prince’s estate shows what happens when even extraordinary success is met with no estate plan. From years of probate to lost opportunities for charitable impact, his story highlights why planning protects your legacy and your loved ones.

Before Facebook’s explosive growth, its founders quietly implemented an estate planning strategy that allowed millions of dollars in future appreciation to pass to their families without triggering gift tax. The technique, known as a Grantor Retained Annuity Trust, remains a powerful planning tool today.