Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent
By Mark E. Lewis, The Law Offices of Mark E. Lewis & Associates Winter. Bleak and cold. It can be beautiful, but best enjoyed through a thick glass window (or a thin television screen), preferably with a hot cup of cocoa. In this new season of 2024, I’ll propose that we are also in a […]
Stuff and No Nonsense
By Mark E. Lewis, Law Offices of Mark E. Lewis & Associates Minimalism, both as a concept and a lifestyle, has gained attention in recent years. People who were stuck at home during the Covid-19 pandemic went through their belongings and became more thoughtful about what they truly needed. While some say extreme minimalism isn’t […]
Don’t be Cut by Shortcuts
By Alex Bogdan, Associate Attorney, Law Offices of Mark E. Lewis & Associates “Do I really need an estate plan? I only have a house and a few accounts. Why do I need a lawyer? Can’t I just list beneficiaries and create a deed putting my son or daughter on title? Won’t that avoid probate?” […]
Be My Valentine… and My Trustee?
Estate planning is about protecting and providing for those you love. The recent Valentine’s Day holiday still has me celebrating the affectionate ways that my clients care for their families. Of course, we also see examples of Cupid’s arrow doing damage: affections misplaced (or misused) or sibling rivalry taken to an extreme. Part of creating […]
Challenging Children
A Discussion About Behavior that Challenges “Well, Laura,” I said, as I glanced down at my notes, “do you want to leave anything to your grandchildren, as you had planned before?” We had just gone over her desired changes to her estate plan. One of the main things she was changing was how much she […]
Estate Planning for the Drunk Uncle
( … with apologies to Lorne Michaels and SNL.) Almost everyone has one. The Drunk Uncle. The cringeworthy relation. The unpredictable-to-the-point-of-irrationality family member. We love – or we try to love – our family; but this person pushes the limits. Since they are a relative, they are an issue in your estate plan. In California, […]
Gains, gains, go away, come again some other day . . .
Putting off paying taxes as long as possible is an American pastime; for some even a passion. The time value of money teaches us that a dollar of tax paid next year is much cheaper than a dollar of tax paid today. In general, taxpayers and their heirs want to put off the ‘recognition of […]
The Giving Season
Christmas is the season of giving, and as Jesus himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35). I agree, It IS more blessed to give than to receive for profound reasons. As an estate planning attorney, I regularly deal with the practical implications surrounding giving. As my gift to you, […]
Swimming the Sea of Life
We residents of the Orange Coast have a privilege that I admit I often forget – the privilege of living near the beach. I learned to swim in a pool, and it’s much more comfortable than swimming in the ocean. No waves, no sand between your toes, and you can see to the bottom – […]
Moving and Grooving
“A friend is a person who loans you their truck so you can move. A true friend is a person with a truck who HELPS you move.” Reflecting on my law career, I realize I’ve never held a law job where the first day did not involve moving furniture. Every time, it came as a […]