Blog

Most people I talk to know that they should have a will or trust, but they’re not quite sure why. Perhaps more importantly, they wonder what happens if they die and they don’t have a will or trust? To be clear, dying without a will does not mean chaos and confusion...

I am often asked, when should I copyright my work? Whether you have authored a book or created a piece of art, the good news is that you automatically have copyright.  Specifically, as soon as the work is "fixed" (i.e. written down, recorded or in some other format...

Believe it or not, you do not need to register your work with the Copyright Office in order to have protection. You possess a copyright as soon as you complete any work that is copyrightable (such as a novel, painting, song, or video). However, it is still a very good...

A number of current and potential clients have asked me some great questions about their will or trust. For example: When should I update my will or trust? Once the document is signed, how long is it good for? At what point does it have to be revised? There is no one...

The question: Can I use a trademark in my book, has come up several times recently in conversations with clients, so here are some guidelines for using someone else’s trademark. As a general rule, it’s fine to use someone else’s trademark in your writing. Most brand...

Should I Be Worried About my Parent Part 2: Red flags for undue influence Last month I talked about how many people lose their mental abilities as they get older. Another unfortunate truth is that older people are often targets for financial abuse. Some people will...

Red Flags for Lack of Capacity It is unfortunate that as we get older, our mental abilities decline. Some people decline to the point that they can no longer take care of themselves or manage their finances. When a person’s cognitive ability declines to the point that...

When people contact me for help with copyrights or trademarks, they are often confused or mistaken about which area of law their issue falls under. For example, someone will ask me about copyrighting their company name or book title (that’s trademark law), or...

Most of us who have lived in California know that California is a community property state. But what does that mean, and how does that affect estate planning for California residents? Here’s how it works: when you are single, everything you own and earn is your...