Howard Thomas, MBA, JD

Wills, Trusts  & strategies to protect People & resources

“Diligence is the mother of good fortune.”

Cervantes

Estate Planning Home

Welcome to Howard’s world of wills, trusts and strategies to protect people and resources.  You have probably landed on this web page because you are thinking about updating your estate plan.  Perhaps you are facing a particular challenge.  In any case, the sooner you begin, the better your options.  You can’t buy flood insurance if you wait until the water is chest high.

Wills are the traditional method of directing the disposition of assets at death.  Wills can be as simple as leaving everything directly to your spouse or they can be quite complex.  For instance, wills can name guardians for children or create trusts that spring into existence at death.  These trusts can provide for your family, community, or even animal companions for many years into the future.  For substantial estates, well structured wills can save taxes.  For most estates, a will is either the foundation for an asset distribution plan or a back-up plan behind trust arrangements.

A trust is a legal device that has evolved since the 15^th century into an extremely flexible tool for managing and protecting people and their resources.  A trust can be as simple as a bank account or as complex as rocket science. It can be revocable or irrevocable.  Despite the best efforts of California’s attorney general, living trusts are heavily marketed by non-lawyers who exaggerate the benefits of boilerplate trusts (see Living Trust Mills at www.ag.ca.gov ).  While the right trust may be a blessing for your family, the wrong trust can be far worse than no trust at all.   Whether for asset protection, tax savings, privacy or special needs, most of my clients include some form of trust in their estate plans.

Taxes, creditors and predators can spoil the fruit of your life’s work.  You are most vulnerable if you are a public figure, in a high risk profession, have special dependants, own investment property, or have accumulated a retirement nest egg.  Some people need only proper property titling, a will, and a health care directive.  Others need in depth defense planning for multiple layers of protection.   An attorney’s job is to help you implement the holistic strategy that’s best for you.

By surfing the web, you have taken the first step.   When you are ready to take the next step, let’s talk about what you are looking for at (925) 274-0432.

Howard Thomas, Esq.

1990 N. California Blvd. 8th Fl

Walnut Creek, CA 94597

To contact us:

Phone: (925) 274-0432

Fax: (925) 274-0913

E-mail: Howard@HowardTheLawyer.com