Tax Deadline Extension Please be advised: The tax deadline has been extended to October 16 for disaster area taxpayers in California to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. Local Judges Retiring Two of Orange County’s long standing judges, Kim Hubbard and Gerald Johnston will be retiring this year.
A Trust Dispute It made headlines when Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of the great Elvis Presley, suddenly passed away on January 12, 2023. However, shortly after that, the headlines quickly shifted to the dispute over who will be handling Lisa Marie’s trust now that she has passed away. In 1993, Lisa Marie established a trust…
When a loved one passes away, the successor trustee distributes the assets according to the decedent’s last wish. During that time, emotions are high, and things can become contentious and potentially lead to a lawsuit. This can happen even if the trustee is doing everything right. Transparency is a way to reduce the stress for…
A trustee takes responsibility for managing money and assets set aside in a trust for the benefit of another person. Along with this financial responsibility comes tax duties. A trustee must file complete and accurate tax returns and pay taxes when they are due. Here are a few things for a trustee to keep in…
The state and local tax (SALT) deduction permits taxpayers who itemize when filing federal taxes to deduct certain taxes paid to state and local governments. However, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act imposed a $10,000 SALT itemized deduction limit. This affected California in particular because of the high-income tax rates in the state. What…
By Matthew G. Stein, Esq. As a trial attorney, I often advise my clients that cases are won or lost on the opening statement – after that, you have very little control in a trial. You do not get to choose the courtroom or the judge or the trial date. In fact, often there is…
So, you’ve found yourself in the position of trustee and are managing your loved one’s estate while they are still alive. What are your duties to account to the eventual beneficiaries of your loved one’s estate? And what if your loved one is incompetent, thus the reason you are now overseeing their estate? Beneficiaries Left…
How to Manage Your Photos, Data & Social Media Accounts After You Die Thinking about your “digital legacy” may seem strange but given the amount of data and content we all use and create (think about all your phone’s pictures, iCloud backups, texts, social media accounts, and Apps like Venmo and Starbucks), it is something…