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Jack E. Stephens Blog

The Home – The Jewel of the Family
February 6, 2024

The Home- The Jewel of the Family The home is the jewel of the assets, the dream of most people. It…

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5 Fatal Mistakes In Estate Planning
February 1, 2024

I. Failure to Arrange and Update a Proper Living Trust Under California Law It is ludicrous not to have a properly…

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Part III Of Dissecting The California Living Trust: Protecting Your Children’s Inheritance
September 27, 2023

There are a myriad of issues that may arise for your children, or other beneficiaries, in inheriting your estate such as…

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Dissecting The California Living Trust: Part II
September 27, 2023

I. Amenable, Revocable, and Distribution Provisions The Living Trust, also known as an Inter Vivos Trust, becomes viable the day it…

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Dissecting The California Living Trust: Part I
September 27, 2023

Over the next few articles I will address various sections of the Living Trust that I created and explain the purpose…

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Post-Death Living Trust Issues Your Successor Trustee Needs To Know About
September 27, 2023

1. What happens when the Trust Creator fails to transfer financial accounts into the Living Trust? 2. Why Long Term Care…

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What Are “Reasonable” Trustee Fees?
July 26, 2021

Because of numerous questions we get on Trustee fees, I have decided to offer some guidance based on California Law. Historically,... Read More
The Catastrophic Problem with A-B Trusts–Blended Families
June 8, 2021

First of all, A-B Trusts have been utilized primarily to protect from Federal Estate Tax (FET) historically. We also use them…

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The Cancer of Living Trusts and Estate Planning
December 16, 2020

I have asked groups of Seminar attendees over the years what specific nemesis has cost individual Americans the most over the…

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Ticking Time Bombs: Blended Family Living Trusts
July 31, 2020

Over the years there is one legal problem brought to my office in which I can offer no legal solution after…

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