Everyday Estate Planning

Nolo.com author Liza Weiman Hanks blogs about wills, trusts, powers of attorney, living wills, estate taxes, and probate court.

Author: Liza Weiman Hanks is the author of Busy Family's Guide to Estate Planning: 10 Steps to Peace of Mind. She is an attorney and the founder of FamilyWorks Estate Planning, a practice specializing in estate planning for families of all ages. A graduate of Stanford Law School, she also has served as an instructor at the Santa Clara University Law School and practiced with the state of California and a prestigious Silicon Valley firm. She resides with her family in Campbell, Calif.

Blawg Related Categories: Trusts & Estates • Consultant

Recent Posts from Everyday Estate Planning

Between a Rock and A Hard Spot: Trustees and the Falling Real Estate Market
The trustees of a living trust have a tough job after a death. They have a duty to the beneficiaries of that trust to invest and manage the trust's assets prudently and to distribute them…
Washington Passes Physician Assisted Death Bill
Last week, Washington joined Oregon in passing a state initiative, The Washington State Death with Dignity Act, that permits doctors to assist terminally ill patients in ending their lives by prescribing lethal doses of medication.…
Talking to Your Parents About Estate Planning
Those of us with young children and older parents know all about the stress involved in caring for two generations at the same time. It's not easy juggling soccer games, school open houses, and parents…
Fall Clean Up: Check Your Beneficiaries for Retirement and Life Insurance
It's autumn. Your kids are in school, the garden needs cleaning up, the leaves are turning beautiful colors, it's time to get that Halloween costume ready, and -- one more thing -- take a moment to…
Special Needs Trust: Smart Estate Planning For Some
Families of children with special needs have estate planning issues that can be special, too. Parents want to make sure that their children -- who may require expensive therapies, medications, and support -- can continue…
FDIC Insurance for Trust Accounts Increased to 250K
Another reason to create a living trust: did you know that bank accounts owned by living trusts can get more FDIC insurance than accounts owned by individuals? It's true. Trust accounts get the maximum FDIC…
California: Terminal Patients Now Have Right to Know Their End-of-Life Options
Assembly Bill 2747, signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on September 30, 2008, requires doctors to provide terminally ill patients with disclosure and counseling about their options for end-of-life care. What does that mean for patients…
Beware Low-Cost Living Trust Seminars
In my neighborhood, I see ads and fliers for low-cost living trust seminars nearly every month. Since I draft living trusts and charge considerably more for my services, I am suspicious of what these seminars…
No Surprises: Let Your Kids Know What You're Planning
It's natural enough that, as parents age, their adult children begin to think about what they'll inherit and how. This can make parents feel uncomfortable and adult children feel ghoulish. Some families -- I suspect many…
Cleaning Out The House: Dealing With Dad's Weird Stuff
Recently, the New York Times published an article, at once fascinating and chilling -- at least for those of us with parents who "collect" things. Imagine having to go through your deceased father's house to…