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Broaching the subject of estate planning with our aging parents can be difficult. Both sides may be reluctant to discuss difficult topics involving final affairs. It can be much more difficult however, if your loved ones pass without a plan in place and to watch their legacy be destroyed. What happens when you don’t have an estate plan? The reality is without an estate plan in place...

Much of the rest of this book will be about constructing a good living trust. But what is a living trust, exactly? As I explained briefly earlier in the book, you can think of a living trust as a kind of vessel, a bucket which you create, and into which you place your stuff. Some things, like IRAs, 401(k)s, annuities and life insurance do not go into the trust, (See Mistake #5). Basically,...

The Benefits of a 529 Education Savings Plan Named after a section of the tax code enacted two decades ago, 529 education savings plans are a tax-advantaged plan that encourages parents to save money for their children’s education. Although contributions are not deductible, the invested assets can grow free of federal and state taxes. There are two types of 529 plans – one lets you pre-pay...

In California, a full probate is not necessary if someone dies with under $150,000 in assets. For example, say, Joe Client dies owning a bank account in his name worth $130,000 and no other assets. The beneficiaries (i.e., the ones getting Joe’s stuff under his will or intestacy if there is no will) complete what is called a “Small Estate Affidavit” and give it to the bank. Upon receiving the...

If you are a resident of Grass Valley, Nevada City, Lake Wildwood, Penn Valley or Alta Sierra, you now have more choices when selecting your Estate Planning attorney. The areas in and around Grass Valley and Nevada City already have living trust attorney’s in town, but just a short drive down Highway 49, in beautiful, historic Auburn, you will find CunninghamLegal. For those who are not...

“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes,” Benjamin Franklin once wrote in a letter. Unfortunately, those words are just as true today as they were in the 1700s. Worse, sometimes the two come as a package deal. After all, when someone dies, their family members must go through a lengthy series of tax, financial, and legal steps in order to...

Welcome to CunninghamLegal – The Living Trust Lawyers On September 1st, 2017, The Sydney Law Firm, P.C. was acquired by CunninghamLegal. Jeff Sydney and his wife, Alicia, decided it was the the right time for them to retire and pass the baton to our firm to serve his clients. We are honored that Jeff Sydney has entrusted his successful, long-standing practice to us at CunninghamLegal....

CunninghamLegal – The Living Trust Lawyers Trust Protector. Like a Superhero: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys offers insight on the subject of Trust Protectors. In the Estate Planning practice in the United States the Trust Protector is a relatively new concept. Originally started in England, it made it’s way to the United States only recently. As a result, not...