Estate Planning Blog | California Estate Planning Attorney Keyes Law Group

What You Need to Know About the Estate Tax Exemption Sunset in 2025

As 2025 approaches, many Californians are keen to understand the impending changes to the estate tax exemption. The upcoming reduction, commonly referred to as the “sunset” of the current thresholds, could have significant implications for estate planning and wealth management. If your estate plan might be affected by the reduction in the estate tax exemption, […]

Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts: Things to Consider

A Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT) can be a vital tool in your estate planning arsenal, particularly for couples looking to maximize their financial legacy while maintaining some access to assets. At Keyes Law Group, we guide individuals through their estate planning needs in California, ensuring a secure future for their families. Understanding SLATs A […]

How Does Life Insurance Affect Probate?

When a loved one passes away, there are many legal and financial matters to handle. The probate process – the court-supervised process of administering their estate – can be complex. It’s helpful to understand how different assets are handled within probate, and life insurance plays a unique role. How Life Insurance Usually Bypasses Probate Life […]

How to Talk About Estate Planning With Your Parents

No one likes to think about their own mortality, let alone the passing of loved ones. However, discussing estate planning with your parents is one of the most thoughtful and loving things you can do for them and your family as a whole. Estate planning isn’t just about distributing assets – it’s about making sure […]

Beyond Wills and Trusts: Tools to Make Your Estate Plan More Robust

Estate planning involves the allocation, management, and disposal of an individual’s estate through legal documents and strategies. While wills and trusts serve as the pillars of estate planning, enabling you to distribute your assets and provide for your loved ones, they may not cover every aspect of your estate or personal circumstances. For instance, estate […]

When Should You Decant Irrevocable Trusts?

Irrevocable trusts are powerful estate planning tools. They offer a variety of benefits like asset protection, tax advantages, and control over how assets are used after your passing. However, their very name – “irrevocable” – might lead you to think they are set in stone. In some cases, there’s a way to modify them through […]

Estate Planning: A Love Note to Your Future Self and Loved Ones

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, let’s talk about a topic that might not seem as romantic, but holds immense significance for the future of everyone involved. While this day is traditionally a celebration of romantic love, we also celebrate all forms of love and reflect on the deep connections we share with our family, […]

Heartfelt Conversations: Discussing Estate Planning With Your Loved Ones

As Valentine’s Day approaches, we invite you to embark on a journey of love that goes beyond the usual expressions. Discussing estate planning is a topic that may feel daunting, but it’s a crucial dialogue to ensure the well-being of those you love. In this blog, we’ll explore tips and strategies to broach and navigate […]

Should You Establish a Digital Estate Plan?

In our increasingly digital world, estate planning has transcended beyond physical assets and legal documents. As we entrust more of our lives to the digital realm, the concept of a digital estate plan becomes crucial. A digital estate plan ensures your online assets, such as social media accounts, digital currencies, and online banking information, are […]

How are Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts Taxed?

Navigating the intricate world of estate planning and trust taxation is a crucial aspect of managing your financial legacy. Trusts, particularly revocable and irrevocable ones, play a pivotal role in this process. Each type carries distinct tax implications, affecting how your assets are handled and taxed both during your lifetime and after. Understanding these differences […]

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CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

"I have had the pleasure of working with the Keyes Law Group these past months. To date, Mr. Keyes has been a great asset to our family; helping to plan a trust and the appropriate tax strategies for us and the next generation. What has worked very well for my wife and I is the time Mr. Keyes has devoted to not only hearing our financial planning concerns, but to also take the necessary time to explain and offer options for us to consider. We have worked with tax attorneys and financial consultants over the years. For us, a successful relationship is one of the key factors that we strive for. Working with the Keyes Law Group has been a very good fit for us as we work to get our financial affairs in order." -- RY

"I can’t say enough great things about Keyes Law Group! They are thorough, caring, and extremely efficient! I send everyone I know to them for Estate Planning! They took such great care of my family and they have earned my business forever! Look no further than Keyes Law Group if you want a seamless process and to cover all bases for your estate! They aren’t just Estate Attorneys; they are family!" -SL

"The patience with helping us achieve our goal and the patience in breaking down the legalese into simple language that we could understand was very beneficial. We felt we were very well taken care of." -GR

"We truly appreciate your thoughts, ideas and time. I very much value your expertise and look forward to more dialogue about best ways to move forward, build healthier relationships with our children and their children and to pass on our values to the degree we are able." -R.Y.

"I was able to have a honest dialog with such an understanding, compassionate, and caring human being. Thank you." -Y.H.

"I've had the opportunity to work with Elijah for several years now. I started during a challenging situation with my mother and he was terrific. I'd say he's very responsive, reliable and exceptionally fair. Also very empathetic. It's refreshing to engage with him and feel that I'm being well taken care of and my needs are being met. His staff is also lovely and overall super accommodating." -I.S.

"It is very important to research and choose wisely when looking for an estate planning attorney. Did you know that the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization has a unique recognition for attorneys who go beyond the regular requirements to practice Estate Planning? Elijah Keyes has this designation; Certified Estate Planning Specialist. He is extremely well versed with this specific area of law and is a strong advocate for his clients in estate planning, including establishing living trusts, wealth planning and family transfers, dynasty trusts, conservatorships, special needs trusts, elder law medi-cal benefits and planning, trust administration and probate. Thank you Elijah, for being a trusted resource for us and for our clients!" -M.H.

"Keyes Law Group helped our family through a very difficult time with estate planning. He's honest, transparent and genuinely cares about his clients. His own personal experiences have shaped his approach in working with people - especially older folks who might be more mistrusting. He can finesse difficult conversations with ease and for that, I'm forever grateful. 100% recommend!" -Y.V.

"Elijah was very helpful with editing our family trust after my wife passed away. He answered all my question in a timely manner and if he did not know the answer he found out quickly. He would take time out of day to reassure me that he had everything under control. He took his time to explain why he worded the trust the way he did and that I understood what it meant. Will use him again when the trust needs to updated." -D.

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