Demystifying the Law Office
Elizabeth F. Caplan Elizabeth F. Caplan

Demystifying the Law Office

I’m writing this post in the hope that demystifying the process through which estate planning is carried out in our office—and in many law offices like ours—might help you take action. Read on to find out what will happen if you reach out to Caplan Wilkinson or a firm like it.

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Medi-Cal Recovery: What It Is and How to Avoid It
Teresa Wilkinson Teresa Wilkinson

Medi-Cal Recovery: What It Is and How to Avoid It

When a Medi-Cal beneficiary dies in California, the state can seek repayment for some of the Medi-Cal services provided to the decedent. This is “Medi-Cal recovery.” Proper estate planning can preserve the inheritance(s) you leave to your heir(s) by placing your assets into vehicles that are exempt from Medi-Cal recovery.

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What Is the Difference Between a Will and a Trust?
Teresa Wilkinson Teresa Wilkinson

What Is the Difference Between a Will and a Trust?

Wills and trusts are the basic building blocks of estate planning. Both wills and trusts can be used by people to arrange for their assets to pass to others after death. Although they are both used for estate planning, they are very different documents. Wills and trusts are created and operate in distinctly different ways.

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Do You Need a Trust?
Elizabeth F. Caplan Elizabeth F. Caplan

Do You Need a Trust?

You probably recognize that you will eventually need a will. You might already have one that you drafted when you became a parent or faced a brush with mortality or the loss of a loved one. We’ll explore wills in greater depth in another post, but here we’d like to zero in on arguably the most essential—and confusing—component of California estate planning: the trust.

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