What Is Probate Theft? Probate theft, also called inheritance or estate theft, refers to the theft of property or assets belonging to an estate during the probate process. Probate is the legal process by which an estate of a deceased person is administered. Part of this process is the distribution of property and assets. When…
The story starts just like any other. Mom, who had been diagnosed with dementia a couple of years prior, met a man while out on a walk (we’ll call him “Stranger”). Within a couple of weeks, Stranger moved into Mom’s house and professed his love to Mom, and proposed. Mom was a widow and, between…
The ULA Tax April 1st, 2023, marks the day California’s housing bill, United to House L.A. (ULA), takes effect. The housing bill was created to fund more affordable housing to decrease homelessness in California. However, with this bill comes a much higher sales tax on property that exceeds $5 million dollars in value. What Does the…
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…