Hello Friends – I have great news! Our firm has opened our fourth office at 600 Hampshire Road, Suite 211, in Westlake Village, CA. The new facility is now the headquarters for the Hilliard Law Center, which provides estate, elder care, and special needs planning services.

Marybell Estrada, my new Firm Administrator is all about family. A proud mother of three, she also has eight siblings and 22 nieces and nephews. Now, I’m happy to welcome her as part of the Hilliard Law family of clients and associates.

Sunday, September 25 – from 2 to 4 p.m. – a number of expert panelists will be presenting an important educational program to discuss the critical issues related to aging and end of life.

The number of children being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD has been skyrocketing. Children who are described as impulsive, hyperactive or have difficulty paying attention in school have not been receiving the assistance, diagnosis or attention they deserve.

As a member of the Board of Director of Senior Concerns, I get a firsthand look at many of this wonderful organization’s outreach programs. One of these is Meals on Wheels. Meals on Wheels is actually a national organization serving approximately 2.4 million seniors in over 5,000 communities around the country.

It is estimated that some 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer's disease, which is a progressive brain disorder, and which can have overwhelming emotional and financial implications for today’s families. As our population ages, the prevalence of the disease rises — doubling every five years after age 65, according to the National Institute on Aging.

January 1, 2016, California signed into law Assembly Bill 139, which was intended to allow individual homeowners to transfer their real estate when they die outside of a will and without going through probate. The property owner simply fills out a new form and records it. Actual ownership of the real estate noted is not transferred until death.

An estate plan is simply a set of instructions that outlines what you want to happen if you become incapacitated and when you die. Regardless of your wealth—modest or monstrous—your plan details your desires, family situation, assets, and how and by whom you want your affairs handled, when you can’t. Then, your estate attorney translates the information into legally enforceable instructions.

Some people don’t believe they need an estate plan. Daily, I hear “my life and estate are simple.” However, if you don’t set up your own, the state of California will “simply” decide what happens to your estate for you.

A Forbes magazine analysis of the Bill and Hillary Clinton’s family holdings suggests that their net worth is somewhere in the range of $45 million, which sounds like a pretty hefty nest egg. However, without proper estate planning, that sum could take a huge hit and leave a monstrous tax bill for whoever survives.

While there are no tax benefits, there may be situations in which you want to name a trust as your IRA beneficiary. If properly structured, and in keeping with IRS requirements, an IRA Beneficiary Trust can help ensure that the beneficiaries will effectively use the required minimum distribution “stretch-out” to build wealth for their future.

If you are over 70 ½ years old, you are now allowed to donate up to $100,000 a year tax free from your IRA to a public charity. The IRA Charitable Rollover is now a permanent tool that you can incorporate into your financial planning strategy.

SB139 is a new law taking effect this year that will allow doctors to prescribe life-ending medication to terminally ill patients. If someone is diagnosed as terminally ill with six months or less to live, the individual may now choose to end his or her life, foregoing their last days that could be filled with the patient’s agony, family trauma, and costly hospital bills.

In our capacity as estate planning attorneys, we work with our clients to prepare documents such as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. Further, we advise our clients and their agents on how to use these tools to protect their estates during transitions such as moving from one’s home to assisted living continuing care communities or nursing facilities.

In simplest of terms, an estate plan lays out the wishes of an individual for the handling of someone’s assets upon his or her death. It can also help maximize the value of one’s estate by reducing taxes and other expenses associated with disbursement of estate assets. Finally, it details the administration of the estate and defines how assets are to be distributed to beneficiaries.

Have you ever wondered why doctors and other healthcare providers ask you to sign a receipt for their “Notice of Privacy Practices?” It was essentially intended to protect your personal information from identity theft or public disclosure of your medical records.

We are all here on Earth for a relatively short period of time and many of us would like to think we made a difference during our lives. We may even want to leave something behind for our loved ones or others as a remembrance of our existence.

Having an estate plan is an essential tool in your “Family Toolbox” to help ensure your loved ones will be taken care after you’re gone. Many people believe an estate plan is a static document and, once in place, will fully and accurately express your desires. The only problem is that things change and your plan should be adjusted to properly represent and protect your interests and those of your heirs.

When tax time rolls around, if you happen to be a caregiver for a parent suffering from some form of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s, you may be able to claim your parent as a dependent for tax purposes, itemizing and claiming their qualified, unreimbursed medical costs.