Some people, including Rupert Murdoch apparently, like to put controls on their money and assets after they die. In the world of estate planning we call this controlling from the grave… not that there is anything wrong with it. Heck, it’s your money so set it up how you want! Reading this NY Times article […]

Clearly Queen Elizabeth II counts as a celeb estate, right!? Seeing this article got me thinking that we should talk about: Estate planning, Royal Family, celeb estates and what you can learn? This article is very interesting for several different things but most notably is the question of when should your children, or other beneficiaries, […]

CunninghamLegal is offering free in-person seminars, on estate planning, in both Southern California and Northern California. CunninghamLegal is a statewide Law Firm serving all of California with multiple full-time offices to serve you! Trust, Tax, & Real Estate – Guiding Savvy, Caring Families By attending you can get a $245 discount off of your living […]

In my 30 years as an estate attorney I have not yet been asked if a client can leave their tattoo to a loved one. However, after seeing this article maybe that’s going to start happening!? This Ohio mortuary is doing just that. They will preserve your tats for your loved ones. Yes, really! So […]

I have blogged about this many new years in the past and, here I am again, reminding you. Yes, I have my living trust in place but DO YOU? To me it seems very normal for people to say “I will get a living trust as part of my new years resolution!” The problem, like […]

As a California estate attorney since 1994 I have planned thousands of estates with people during their lives and, likewise, dealt with thousands of estates after death in trust administration and also in the California probate process.  Years ago I started calling the schedule of assets, that is often attached to a living trust, a […]

Each year people plan their new year’s resolutions and each year, for many people, “get will done” is on the list.  Another year has passed and, for many of us, that is one more year without a proper estate plan in place.  Please talk to an experienced attorney and get your estate in order.  For […]

You probably aren’t the only person with the New Years Resolution to Avoid Probate Court When you Die.  It’s pretty standard for organized adults to want to provide for their loved ones when they die and they want to do it in the most efficient manner possible. The most efficient manner possible is to avoid […]

Some people might see the title here and think this is an odd title: Estate planning risk, compliance and COVID-19. However, issues like compliance go with estate planning just like they do anything else.  My oldest friend is a consultant in the energy industry for Deloitte & Touche LLP.  Actually, Howard Friedman’s official title is […]

I imagine anybody reading this blog post has thought about the serious issues related to Covid-19. Most notably of course is the death rate and the rapidly growing numbers of deaths around the world but also right here in California, USA.  I don’t want to sound all doom and gloom but I am a lawyer […]