Author: Ellen Cookman

When you sit down to plan what you’ll leave your children, you’re really trying to answer one question: how do I make sure this actually helps them? Two tools come…

How can you protect your child’s inheritance? One really powerful tool is using a dynasty trust. In this article, I’m going to explain all about dynasty trusts:  What Is a…

The day you sign your special needs trust is a real milestone. After all the conversations and decisions, you finally have the document in hand. That feeling of relief is…

Completing an estate plan is a real accomplishment. You found an attorney, worked through the questions you had been putting off, made a series of important decisions, and signed your…

Choosing a trustee may be the most consequential decision in your entire estate plan – and it’s one that unfortunately, many families make without fully understanding what the role involves….

Medi-Cal planning in California is changing (again). Just two years after eliminating the asset limit entirely, the State of California has reinstated it, effective January 1, 2026. For many individuals…

Love isn’t just about the life you build together; it’s also about the legacy you leave behind. Whether you’ve been with your partner for six months or sixty years, estate…

We live in a digital world – one where our most important memories, communications, and financial information often live behind a screen. From family photos stored in the cloud, to…

An estate plan is more than a collection of legal documents – it’s a reflection of your values, your goals, and your care for the people you love. It outlines…