Newsletter

When most people hear about elder abuse, they think of cruel or apathetic caregivers leaving elderly family and friends unattended or physically abusing them. But elder abuse is more than physical abuse: when someone takes any property - including real estate, cash, or any other asset or interest - from a person over the age of 65 by fraud or undue influence, it constitutes financial elder abuse.

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act became law on December 22, 2017, with most provisions becoming effective on January 1, 2018. Some provisions are permanent, while others expire. Most significant for gift and estate tax purposes is the temporary doubling of several exemptions.

Portability has been part of federal estate tax law since 2011. The portability election allows a de[..]

Many trustees employ counsel to provide advice on dealing with and responding to inquiries from beneficiaries. Trustees may believe that their communications with and advice from counsel are confidential and cannot be disclosed to the beneficiaries without their consent. The recent court decision in Fiduciary Trust International of California v. Klein (2017) 9 Cal. App. 5th 1184 is a cautionary tale that warns trustees against assuming that all communications with an attorney are confidential.

The internet has brought many advances to our lives. The world wide web, emails, blogs, cloud computing, social media and other online accounts are a common way to communicate with family and friends, manage finances or operate a business.

The recent national election results have created uncertainty, some may say new hope, regarding the [..]