A special needs trust (“SNT”) is a type of trust used to provide benefits to persons or beneficiaries with special needs. A major purpose of setting up a special needs trust is to provide benefits to an individual with special needs in order to supplement any benefits they may be receiving from MediCal, Supplemental Security

If you do not have legal capacity to make financial decisions on your own behalf, then how do your decisions get made? Who would be making those decisions? Without a comprehensive estate plan in place which includes a financial power of attorney, the remaining option is for a loved one to seek a conservatorship over

If you do not have legal capacity to make medical decisions on your own behalf, then how do your decisions get made? Who would be making those decisions? Without a comprehensive estate plan in place which includes an Advance Healthcare Directive, the remaining option is for a loved one to seek a conservatorship over you

One of the most common questions people have is “What is the difference between a will and a trust?”. There are multiple differences between a Will and a Trust. In California, the major differences include: (1) probate avoidance, (2) cost and time, (3) privacy and (4) design options. Probate Avoidance Whether you have a will,

We are excited to announce that Alta Legacy Law will participate in a dynamic networking session in May, The Truth About Estate Planning. Learn More Wednesday, May 4th, join us at 7:30 am as the owner of Alta Legacy Law, Lindsay H. Altamirano, talks about the widely popular topic of estate planning. The Truth About

According to a 2021 survey conducted by Caring.com, only 33 percent of adults in the United States have any estate planning documents such as a will or trust, despite the fact that approximately two-thirds of the respondents viewed such documents as somewhat or very important.1 Many respondents attributed their lack of estate planning to procrastination,

Estate planning can be a very difficult process. While it is not brain surgery, making the decision to move forward with an estate plan requires us to face the fact that we will not live forever. This thought stops many people in their tracks. Others talk themselves out of seeing a qualified attorney to create

What is Probate? Probate is the court-supervised process of distributing a deceased person’s assets according to their will or California intestacy law. The process is initiated by the executor of the will, and it allows the executor to take control of your property and distribute it according to the provisions of the will. If the

What Is Estate Planning? Estate planning is the process of organizing an individual’s personal and financial affairs in a way that maximizes the individual’s enjoyment of his or her own estate during life while planning how that estate should be distributed and used upon that individual’s death. Additionally, estate planning is used to ensure that