Are executors personally liable for their work on a San Diego estate? Most people are honored to be asked to serve as an executor for a friend or family member's will. It seems like a position of extreme trust and personal obligation. Most executors do not understand it also involves...
Who Pays an Executor’s Legal Fees
Here in California there are many reasons why an executor should hire an attorney, but who pays an executor’s legal fees? In most cases, the estate will pay reasonable attorney fees and costs for the executor. These do not have to come out of pocket. Why would an executor need...
The Executor’s Role in the Probate Process
What is the executor’s role in the probate process? To ensure proper estate planning and administration, one needs to understand the basics of the probate process. The probate process involves distributing a deceased person's estate. In plain English, probate is the legal term used to describe the re-titling of the...
Legal and Accounting Services for Executors and Trustees in San Diego
Allen Barron provides legal and accounting services for executors and trustees in San Diego. Most people are completely unaware of the heavy personal legal and financial responsibility they accept when they agree to serve as the executor of an estate or the trustee for a family trust. Once the glow...
Keys to Successful Business Succession Planning
What are the keys to successful business succession planning and when should you start? If you own a business, from an LLC to a large multinational corporation, you should have a succession plan in place. The unfortunate fact is less than 20% of California business owners have actually implemented a...
If You are an Executor in San Diego You Need an Attorney
You were honored when your close friend or family member asked you serve as the executor of their estate. You did not realize the amount of the work associated with the task. You also didn't realize you were personally financially liable for your actions as an executor. If you are...
What is a PFIC and Why are the Taxes So High?
What is a PFIC and why are the taxes associated with PFICs so high? A Passive Foreign Investment Company or PFIC is classified by the IRS as a foreign corporation or entity who meets either an asset test or income test established by the agency. The asset test is based...
Why Put Off Estate Planning and Establishing a Trust?
Why do so many San Diegans put off estate planning and establishing a trust for their home and assets? Quite simply, in my experience its as simple as they don't want to face the reality of their own mortality. Unfortunately, the failure to undertake estate planning leaves a complicated and...
Prince’s Lack of a Will Highlights the Value of a Trust
The death of the artist Prince was a shock to many of us. What surprised me as a trust, estate and tax attorney is his complete abdication of planning his estate, especially when you consider the energy and effort he expended to protect his music and the rights to it....