written by Dana M. Heyde OC Lawyer Magazine, March 2022 I read books to take a journey, but I never imagined the personal journey my love of books would take me on. As a child, I devoured the entire series of The Baby-Sitters Club. In the seventh grade, I decided to become a lawyer after reading John...Read More
Legal Planning for Your High School Graduate If you’re the parent of a high school graduate this year, congratulations! You’ve put in a lot of time and effort toward earning that diploma, and whatever their next step in life will be, you likely want to protect them just as much as you did while they...Read More
The estate tax is a tax on the value of a person’s assets at the time of their death. Upon your death, if the total value of your estate is above a certain threshold amount, known as the federal estate tax exemption, the IRS requires your estate to pay a tax, known as the estate...Read More
There are two primary types of trusts, revocable living trusts and irrevocable trusts. People often come to us curious or confused about the differences between revocable living trusts and irrevocable trusts. Revocable Living Trust A revocable living trust, also known simply as a living trust, is by far the most commonly used form of trust...Read More
When it comes to creating an estate plan, most people typically think of a will. While it is possible to leave your estate to someone in your will, it is far from ideal. Reason #1 Why You Need More Than A Will: A Will Does Not Avoid Probate Upon your death, all assets passed through...Read More
The distribution and management of family trusts are tricky. A beneficiary is owed a duty by the Trustee to marshal and account for all trust assets. A beneficiary is also entitled to receive all distributions specified in the trust. Sometimes it seems like a Trustee is withholding a distribution from a sibling to get even...Read More
By Dana M. Heyde You Are Being Asked To Be A Trustee It is an honor if a family member or friend has asked you to serve as trustee for their trust either during their life, or upon their death. This means they consider you among the most honest, reliable, and responsible people they know....Read More
By Dana M. Heyde While most adults don’t take estate planning as seriously as they should, if you are single with no children, you might think that there’s really no need for you to worry about creating an estate plan. But this is a huge mistake. In fact, it can be even more important to...Read More
By Dana M. Heyde With divorce occurring in half of all marriages in the United States, second marriages are becoming more common. With second marriages, people often bring children from prior marriages into the mix. Such unions are often referred to as a “blended” family. Blended families present a number of challenging legal and financial...Read More
As a young girl, my extra-curricular activity was acting, singing, and dancing in large scale productions with a cast of 100, made up entirely of children. I couldn’t get on stage fast enough, and eagerly sang my heart out to an audience of 1,500 people. The acting bug was still inside me when I stood...Read More
