As part of my estate planning practice, I often meet families who are struggling to manage a loved one's estate after their passing. One of the most common challenges arises when family members cannot locate the trust or will. Today, I want to share some practical steps to address this situation....

Blended families are increasingly common, and while they bring unique dynamics and joy, they can also present complex estate planning challenges. In California, where property laws and inheritance rights vary depending on family structure, careful planning is essential to avoid unintended dispute...

If you've recently lost a loved one and found yourself in a position where probate seems daunting, there's good news. California law allows certain estates to bypass probate altogether, thanks to the small estate affidavit procedure. As a probate attorney, I can attest that this tool can be a lif...

When people come to my office to create a Will or Living Trust, they often ask how life insurance fits into their estate planning strategy and whether life insurance proceeds might be taxable to their Beneficiaries. This is a great question, especially for California residents who want to provide...

Losing a loved one is never easy, and dealing with their estate can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to something like transferring a vehicle. The process of transferring a vehicle's title after someone passes away in California depends on several factors, including whether the vehicle...

As an estate planning attorney, many of my clients come to me to establish living trusts, particularly those with significant assets in California. Living trusts offer several benefits, including avoiding probate and providing a clear, efficient way to manage and distribute your estate. However, ...

Creating your estate plan is a big deal—it's a way to make sure your wishes are honored and your loved ones are taken care of after you're gone. But here's the thing: making that plan isn't a one-and-done deal. Just like you wouldn't let your car go without an oil change for years, you shouldn't ...

Every so often, clients or potential clients inquire about the possibility of Medi-Cal seeking reimbursement from their estates after they pass away.  Many of them have heard horror stories about Medi-Cal seeking reimbursement from the estates of people they were acquainted with.  Although there ...

As a California Estate Planning Attorney, I almost never create a Living Trust without creating a companion document known as a pour over will.  Many clients ask me something like..."why do I still need a will if I am hiring you to create a living trust?"  The purpose of this blog post is to answ...

In the realm of estate planning, Californians are increasingly recognizing the importance of securing their financial and healthcare decisions for the future. One crucial component that plays a significant role in this process is the Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA). In this blog post, we will ex...

In the intricate world of estate planning, the roles of both executors and trustees are pivotal. An Executor is a person who a testator appoints in their Will to manage and oversee the distribution of the estate after the testator passes away, usually through a process known as probate which invo...

Occasionally, in the context of Estate Administration, I have come across situations where children or spouses of the testator were not provided for in a testamentary document such as a Will or a Trust. It so happens that California law recognizes the rights of individuals who may have been unint...

As we step into the promising horizon of a new year, it is only fitting to share with our clients and audience the exciting developments taking place at the Law Offices of Mark Ruiz. Since our establishment in 2011, we have been dedicated to providing comprehensive legal services across a spectru...

When planning their Estates, small business owners and self-employed individuals often overlook the fact that their business is in fact an asset. Indeed, estate planning is often associated with personal assets and real property, but for small business owners, it's equally crucial to extend the p...

As an Estate Planning Attorney, I am frequently contacted by people who have recently lost a love one who did not have a Will or Trust in place. In fact, according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, a substantial percentage of Americans over the age of 70 years of age-37 per...

I often have clients who are refferred to me for the purposes of Estate Planning and are curious about how the process works.  Many clients call my office about a Will or a Trust. Generally, the process involves an initial phone interview where I ask high level questions such as if the client is ...

When people come to my office to create a Will or Living Trust they often ask me if when they pass away whether or not their Beneficiaries will have to pay any taxes on their inheritance.  I also get this question frequently from Beneficiaries.  The answer to this question generally depends on th...

Over the years, I have received inquiries from people who have had a spouse pass away and needed property which was the separate property to be transferred to them.  For instance, imagine the deceased spouse inherited property and the property was titled only in the name of the deceased spouse.  ...

Starting in around March, 2020, right around the time when California and other States went into shut down, I experienced an uptick in inquiries from people interested in doing their Will or Trust.  It could be that people had more time on their hands due to working from home. Of course, the othe...

Often times when people come to my office to set up a Trust they ask me about what would happen if if they forget to title their house or car or bank account in their Trust.  This often happens in situations when people are in a rush to do their Trust. While most of the time I recommend that at t...