Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends, Harold spent the better part of his life building a profitable business, but one bad day led to a lawsuit that wouldn’t quit, and suddenly his years of hard work evaporated with the loss of his business…and his retirement. To Harold, it’s no surprise that the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) declared California the #1 judicial hellhole in the United States for the 3rd […]
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Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends, In 2011, in response to the new $5M gift tax exemption, we introduced The HYCET Trust®. This trust allows you to reclaim the gift if you later need or want it back. The popularity of this trust has been nothing short of remarkable because of its multipurposes — flexibility, asset protection, and estate tax savings. We have just released our new video on The HYCET […]
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Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends, The doorbell rings around midnight. Heading to bed, James and Victoria worriedly check the peephole. Their grown son Brian and his much disliked girlfriend-of-the-month Elle wait outside. James opens the door asking, “Aren’t you supposed to be in Vegas for the weekend?” Elle thrusts her hand in their faces. “We were!” she screams, showing off a huge diamond ring. “You’re engaged?” asks Victoria, crestfallen. “No, […]
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Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends, Silicon Valley has been such a leader in technology for over two decades that it has sported a dizzying number of IPOs and huge stock option payoffs creating enormously wealthy entrepreneurs and its own class of marital problems when their marriages breakup. As a community property state, California divorce law generally holds that property obtained during a marriage is fair game, while separate property brought into marriage belongs to that […]
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Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends, The weather was gorgeous, the food was delicious, and the conversation had been informative. While the topic was not anyone’s favorite to engage in, Rich and Alice had just updated their two children, ages 23 and 27, on recent changes they had made to their estate planning documents. While the four were waiting for dessert, Rich asked his children, Chris and Chelsea, if they had done any planning for themselves. Chris […]
Continue reading“Dad, are we rich?” Ethan’s father drops his fork mid-bite. “That’s an unusual question,” Roger carefully responds. Ethan, who just turned 16 and still fears his father’s disapproval, hesitates before continuing. He knows there is an unspoken rule in his family to never speak about money. Despite his nerves he plows on determined to get to the bottom of the wild claims his classmates made. “So, the guys said I didn’t need to get a summer […]
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The Destruction of the Tablets of the Ten Commandments Guilty? Not Guilty? You Decide Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends, Each year, the University Synagogue located in Irvine, CA, presents a hugely entertaining and informative Biblical Trial Program. Two of the legal profession’s most esteemed law professors, Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of the UCI School of Law, and Prof. Laurie Levinson, present their legal arguments involving iconic events from the Bible. Details […]
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Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends, We are all familiar with Charles Dickens’ classic novel, A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. By reliving his memories and peering into the future, he grows as an individual, developing a more kind and compassionate mentality, thereby benefiting his employees and community. Well, in this 2015 season of the holidays, a different phantom […]
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Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends, “It’s a beautiful home,” the well-coiffed realtor gushed to Sally and Ned. “How much did you say you paid?” Ned proudly told her what he spent on their “dream home” over 30 years ago. The realtor’s eyes shot up in surprise, “You could get 30 times that today.” The couple stopped short, shocked. They had no idea their residence could be worth so much. With […]
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Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends, So your estate planning is in order. You have a will; every loved one is accounted for; and your estate will be passed on in accordance with your wishes. Or will it? The great Frank Gifford died on August 9, 2015. He was 84 years old. He was a football player for the New York Giants, and then a television sports announcer and commentator. He […]
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