How Talbot Law Group is seeing clients, getting documents signed and notarized, all while keeping safe social distancing.   In these unusual times of social distancing and concerns about safety we at Talbot Law Firm are committed to helping our clients move forward with their estate plans.   With law offices and the California court...Read More

-by Kurt Rifbjerg, Esq. The global onset of COVID-19 may impact a person’s ability to execute a formal, comprehensive estate plan.    While our firm remains open and willing to help clients create and revise their estate plans as a legal necessity during these troubling times, we recognize that not everyone may be able to...Read More

“Mad, bad and dangerous to know. That was him and that was me.”  Speaking about himself and Lord Byron, Dylan McKay was the coolest guy at West Beverly High School and teen idol for an entire generation of teenagers in the 90’s.  Played by actor Luke Perry in the long-running show Beverly Hills, 90210, his...Read More

Couples with young children typically set up revocable trusts with their children’s well being as the top priority. Most trusts plan for the potential scenario where both parents are gone, but at least one child or grandchild remains. A well crafted trust will also specify who a couple’s assets will go to if no children...Read More

Unlike famous singers Aretha Franklin and Prince, who died without a will or trust, rapper Mac Miller planned ahead for his demise. And he did this at the tender age of 21 – perhaps foreseeing his death at just 26 years of age on September 7th of this year. Consequently, his fortune will likely be...Read More

Does the word “estate” in estate planning make you turn a deaf ear to the whole concept of financial planning?  Maybe you feel like “estate” planning doesn’t apply to you because your home doesn’t look like an estate, and your bank account is rather ordinary.  But if you look at it that way, you may...Read More

What function can life insurance serve as part of your estate plan?   Prior to the big changes in estate tax laws, life insurance was commonly put into place to pay estate taxes. No longer necessary, as estates can exempt $5.45 million for each individual from what used to be called the “death tax”, life...Read More

1. If you already have an Estate Plan, Get a New One In most cases, getting a divorce will essentially invalidate your Trust or Will if you have one. However, it should be noted that your former Will or Trust will only be invalid once the divorce is finalized. Simply filing for divorce changes nothing...Read More

If you’re considering doing a Will or Trust for yourself, or assisting another individual with their Estate Plan, it’s important to know who can legally execute estate planning documents. The ability to make a will or trust may also come in to question if you have a parent or relative who is under a conservatorship....Read More

If the debacle of music legend Prince’s Estate doesn’t inspire you to get your Estate Plan in order, I don’t know what will.  With an estimated $300 million at stake, multiple family members and people claiming to be family members, Minnesota Judge Eide announced they were entering “uncharted territory.”  With no will yet to be...Read More

Death is an emotionally charged situation. Wouldn’t you want to spare your loved ones the additional anxiety of dealing with questions that are left unresolved by a lack of preparedness?  Most of us would answer, “Yes”! But this is more difficult than it might seem, and also more complex than simply executing a Will or...Read More

Britain’s vote to leave the EU leaves our entire global economy in a state of uncertainty. It’s a further reminder that we, as individuals, have little power over the world at large. But we do (for the most part) have power over our own worlds – personal, emotional, financial, and otherwise. So why do so...Read More

If you’re young and have been dating someone for a number of years, you may consider whether or not you’ll tie the knot. But if you’re retirement age and are in a long term committed relationship, you should be considering what will happen if your partner passes away. Grim but true, many people who opt...Read More

Article By Matthew Talbot. This article was featured in June’s Issue of Lamorinda Moms. Despite being the home to the tech hub of America, Silicon Valley, California has yet to enact any legal guidelines for accessing digital accounts after someone dies. Yes, I am aware Facebook and a handful of other sites have their own procedures for...Read More