Blog Posts in November, 2014

Estate Planning for Non-Traditional Families

Although everyone needs an estate plan, estate planning becomes particularly important when you are part of a non-traditional family. Non-traditional families include: Same sex couples Heterosexual couples who live together, but are not legally married Families where one or both spouses have children from a previous marriage Families where someone is viewed as "like a child" -- but is not legally ...

Richard Gere's Divorce Raises a Common "Grey" Divorce Concern

Hollywood star Richard Gere, who earned over $82 million in 2013 alone, split from wife Carey Lowell last year. Carey, a 53-year-old former model, is seeking a substantial portion of the 65-year-old Pretty Woman actor's $250 million fortune. Her main basis for the claim is that she forfeited her career to care for Gere and their 14-year-old son Homer after they tied the knot in 2002. She is asking ...

Do You Need a Pet Prenup?

If you're an animal lover thinking about tying the knot, Pasadena family law attorneys say you may want to join the growing number of people asking for a pet prenup. Pet prenups are being promoted as a way to avoid bitter divorce battles like the one between celebrity couple Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith. After they announced their plans to end their almost 20-year marriage last June, ...

Estate Planning Shouldn't Mean Giving Up Control

In addition to being hampered by a fear of their own mortality, many people are reluctant to make an estate plan because they believe that estate planning will result in a loss of control over their assets. Don't fall victim to this misconception! If you sit back and do nothing, you are essentially ceding control of your estate to the government of the state in which you live. When you die without ...

Surviving the Holidays Post-Divorce

Setting holiday schedules can be challenging after a Pasadena divorce. Most parents work out a general custody schedule as part of their divorce agreement, but changes often need to be made from year to year. To make things easier for both you and your children, it's important to make your holiday plans as soon as possible. Make an appointment to meet privately with your ex to discuss your holiday ...

Should You Turn Down Alimony?

There is no law saying you must accept alimony after your divorce. In fact, Forbes recently published an article profiling three women who turned down alimony. The first woman said she felt like alimony was equivalent to accepting payment for a job she no longer did. The second woman had no children with her ex and refused alimony as a way to get a "clean break". The third woman said refusing ...

Do You Need a Gun Trust?

If you're a collector of firearms, you may be wondering how to handle these items in your estate plan. One approach that has been gaining popularity in recent years is the gun trust. Sometimes referred to as an NFA trust, the purpose of this type of trust is to allow the owners of firearms to share them legally and responsibly with family members. They offer a certain level of protection from ...

Estate Planning for Childless Couples

Estate planning is most often discussed in terms of passing down assets to children, but that doesn't mean that childless couples have no need for an estate plan. If you die without a will or trust, generally your spouse inherits your assets if you have no children. After your spouse dies, his or her closest living relatives inherit any assets. If there are no relatives, assets go directly to the ...