What Green Card Holders, Financial Advisors, and Lawyers Need to Know If you are a green card holder living in California or advising one, estate planning is not optional. It is foundational. And yet, it is often overlooked or delayed. Not because these clients do not care. Not because their situations are unusually complex. But…
Estate Planning for People Without Children in California Estate planning is often framed as something people do once they have children. Getting pregnant and having a baby is common trigger for estate planning. But we know that estate planning is for everyone. As soon as a person reaches the age of 18, no other…
A Conversation with Estate Planning Attorney Patricia De Fonte, Esq. A collaboration between Sheila McGinn, CFP® at Brightview Financial Solutions and Patricia De Fonte, Esq. at De Fonte Law PC Why I Love Working with Estate Planning Attorneys One of my favorite parts of being a Certified Financial Planner® professional is getting to work with…
7 Estate Planning Risks for Family Law Attorneys We love working with newlyweds at De Fonte Law PC! Most of them do not have prenups, and much of what follows applies to them as they have not had a chance to create community property yet. They are as vulnerable to unintentional disinheritance as are…
How Financial Advisors Can Spot Risk Early and Help Clients Avoid Probate, Conservatorship, and Preventable Failure Financial advisors are often the first professionals to see estate-planning problems, long before a legal crisis, medical emergency, or family conflict erupts. The warning signs rarely announce themselves loudly. Instead, they surface quietly during routine reviews: a trust drafted…
Divorce is not a single legal event. It is a multi-year financial, legal, emotional, and logistical transition. And yet, too often, divorcing clients are guided by only one professional at a time—usually their divorce lawyer—without a coordinated team supporting the full picture. From an estate-planning perspective, this is where things go wrong. During a divorce,…
Let’s start with the truth: estate planning is family work. It answers three core questions in plain English: What about me? Who protects my health, finances, and dignity if I can’t? Who has the keys, medical, financial, and digital, and how do they use them? What about my stuff? How do I avoid probate and…
Independent Trustees in Revocable Trusts for Doctors & Lawyers: Continuity Without Conflicts If your estate plan named a loved one as your successor trustee and agent under a power of attorney without also giving them the ability to appoint an independent special trustee, your medical or legal practice could suffer. Even if they could “figure…
Real estate is the biggest area of confusion for my clients. Deeds are hard to understand; the underlying laws are even worse! A home represents security, stability, and legacy – but most people are not taking steps to protect their biggest and most important asset. When estate planning is not done the right way, property…
Art is more than a creation — it’s a complex web of rights, revenue streams, and decisions that will outlive the artist. As an estate planning attorney in California who works with artists, musicians, authors, and other creatives, I know that protecting intellectual property takes more than a standard trust or will. Before obtaining a…