If you missed our seminar last Saturday, January 9, 2010, don’t worry, by popular demand we will be holding another free seminar next month… on Thursday, February 4, 2010 or on another Saturday morning date TBD…
Be sure to reserve your space on our events page by signing up now since the seminars fill up fast.
As seen in the Carmel Valley News, we offer a fun kids’ party and free legal workshop on 7 Easy Steps to Ensure Your Kids Are Protected in this crazy world… you won’t want to miss our next one…
Posted by kristina at 2:13 am on January 12th, 2010.
Categories: Kids Protection, Legal Seminars.
Well… it’s a house call of sorts.
On New Year’s Day I did a Signing Ceremony at our client’s home. A Signing Ceremony is where the clients sign their Living Trust, Wills, Kids Protection Plan (short and long term guardian nominations and a host of other documents to protect and provide for our little people), Advance Health Care Directives, Power of Attorney… You know, all the legal documents that San Diego Families really need to have to take care of themselves, their assets, and their loved ones in the event something were to happen.
The Signing Ceremony took place at our client’s home on New Year’s Day. How cool is that to have the John and Sue Smith Living Trust dated 1/1/10? (names have been changed of course!)
It’s a nice little perk that we offer our clients. Especially for our clients who have young children, it’s nice not to have to worry about getting a babysitter or to make another trip to your lawyer’s office (after you have spent time there designing your Estate Plan). We can make house calls and do Signing Ceremonies at our clients’ homes.
What a great concept! Some of our clients love it while others prefer to come to our conveniently located Carmel Valley Office for their Signing Ceremony.
Either way, for Haymes Law Group, it’s all about providing extraordinary client service. Time to plan your estate today.
Let me know how I can help.
San Diego’s Personal Family Lawyer,
Kristina Haymes
San Diego’s Estate Planning Attorney
Posted by kristina at 10:52 pm on January 6th, 2010.
Categories: Extraordinary Client Service, Trust and Estates.
The U.S. Senate finished its work for the year without acting on the Bill the House passed that would have extended the 2009 federal estate tax — any estate over $3.5 million is taxed at 45%.
However, with the Senate’s inaction, the Estate tax in 2010 will be zero. Yet, as I have discussed previously, the Estate Tax disappearance is combined with a potential increase in Capital Gains taxes for inherited assets.
The disappearing Estate Tax is likely to be short lived, however, as Democrats are promising to reinstate the Estate Tax in 2010 and make it retroactive to January 1, 2010. So before you encourage any of your wealthy relatives to wait until 2010 to die, see what happens in the Senate.
Republicans are working to keep the exemption amount high – $3.5 million or higher and the tax rate at 35%. Democrats want the exemption level lowered and a higher tax rate, e.g. 55%.
If Congress does not enact a new law, the Estate Tax will return on January 1, 2011 to its 2000 level taxing an estate valued at over $1 million at a tax rate of 55%.
Chances are that a compromise is going to be reached and we will continue to have an Estate Tax in 2010. So, stay tuned!
Create Your Legacy,
Kristina Haymes
San Diego’s trust and estate attorney
Personal Family Lawyer
Posted by kristina at 1:04 am on December 28th, 2009.
Categories: Estate Taxes.
