The Sydney Law Firm, P.C. Clients – Welcome to CunninghamLegal
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....
Estate Planning. It’s Not for Everybody. So Who’s It For?
CunninghamLegal – The Living Trust Lawyers
“Estate Planning” is a general phrase that most people associate with planning for the end of one’s life. While that basic definition is a good place to start, estate planning goes far beyond just planning for the distribution of assets upon death. It also includes planning for periods of incapacity, healthcare decision making, Medi-Cal...
Incapacity – Snow White and the Seven Steps
CunninghamLegal – The Living Trust Lawyers
Incapacity is generally defined as lacking the ability to make decisions for oneself. This can occur due to a mental impairment or a physical disability or illness, which prevents a person from having the ability to communicate their reasonable decisions to others. Like most people, Snow White did not know that she would become incapacitated....
Your Estate Planning Binder Misses You
CunninghamLegal – The Living Trust Lawyers
For some people, a sighting of their estate planning binder is as rare as seeing Bigfoot in line at your local Starbucks. The binder is often initially reviewed and then is stored away for various reasons; to protect the documents, to protect confidential information contained in the documents, or to prevent one from having to think about the...
A Second Chance to Double Your Tax Exemption
CunninghamLegal – The Living Trust Lawyers
The IRS just issued Revenue Procedure 2017-34, which, for a limited time, has extended the deadline to file for portability elections. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (enacted in 2013) provided people with the process of “Portability” where a surviving spouse “inherits” the unused Federal Estate Tax Exemption of their predeceased spouse...
Trust Administration. What’s That?
CunninghamLegal – The Living Trust Lawyers
Trust Administration – What’s that?
This is a question we get on occasion from clients. The terms trust administration or trust settlement refer to the process of following through with the trust provisions and distributions after someone has died. This process may involve helping the trustees (often a family member) with gathering and...
Bypassing the Bypass Trust
CunninghamLegal – The Living Trust Lawyers
In this article, Stephen M. Wood, Attorney in our Camarillo and Ventura County office discusses A-B Trusts and why you should consider having your trust reviewed by an Attorney now.
Bypassing the “B” Trust
Under the current estate tax regime, it is often unnecessary for a married couple to have what is commonly called an A-B Trust. The “A”...
Stephen P. Bezaire Clients – Welcome to CunninghamLegal
CunninghamLegal – The Living Trust Lawyers
We have had the pleasure of spending time with Stephen Bezaire and his team and are honored that he has entrusted his successful, long-standing practice to us at CunninghamLegal. Our shared passion for the law and estate planning bode well for a smooth and seamless transition as Stephen heads to a well-deserved retirement.
Most important is that...
Is Hiring a Specialist a Good Idea?
CunninghamLegal – The Living Trust Lawyers
When I was going to law school, I often received calls from family members and friends with legal questions they had ranging from contracts, landlord-tenant issues, divorce, personal injury, workers compensation and the list goes on. I would try my best to help answer someone’s legal question, but I quickly realized that it is impossible for an...
Should You Settle?
CunninghamLegal – The Living Trust Lawyers
Ever hear this, “Don’t Settle,” or better yet, “Never Settle!” ?
These may be wise words to follow in certain aspects of your life, but what about your legal life, or specifically, your inheritance?
After a person dies and their estate is being administered, unforeseen circumstances can arise that affect distribution of the estate. Such...