Author: Patricia De Fonte – Estate Planning Attorney

Assisted Reproductive Technologies Over a million babies have been born in the United States thanks to assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Some studies show that two percent of all births in the US are the result of IVF. Until recently, I did not know any of this. I had the good fortune to connect with a…

I learned about a study (https://paulgp.github.io/papers/Gender_Gap_in_Housing_Returns_20191016.pdf) that tells us that women are paying more for real estate, and making less on this important investment when they sell. The researchers considered socio-economic, race and other factors, and again and again, found that women are losing out in real estate transactions. I work with a lot of…

You have an estate plan and your will identifies the guardians you have chosen for your children. These trusted people might also be successor trustees, so they know when and under what circumstances your children will receive their inheritance. But do they know about your family traditions? Do they know who to turn to navigate…

The recent article “Have You Named a Legal Guardian for Your Kids?” in the New York Times is thought-provoking and excellent. I will send this article to all of my new clients, as I believe it will help them to think deeply about who should care for their children if they are unable to, what…

In December 2019, I took the last final exam I will ever take to complete my Masters Degree in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Administration at Golden Gate University’s School of Tax in San Francisco. While it is always a fun intellectual activity to play with the tax and property law with tens of millions…

I send all of my clients the following email, encouraging them to look into Long Term Care Insurance. This is especially important for women – we are expected to be the caretakers for our parents and our spouses. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could provide emotional support without having to leave our careers and…

When meeting with your clients, you can casually bring up the topic of estate planning. If you know that estate planning documents have been prepared, you can inquire about the last time they were reviewed. This is incredibly important if clients mention they or their family have recently gone through a major life change that…

Whether your beloved collection consists of artwork, books, cars, music, or other significant items, you should not forget about this valuable asset when estate planning. You have likely spent quite some time — whether years or your entire life — building your collection; you should not leave its fate to the whims of the court.…

Most of my estate planning clients are couples with minor children and aged parents. They are the sandwich generation, with all of the joys and all of the obligations that come with that role. I ask all of my clients: Do you know if your parents have an estate plan? Do you know where it…

Estate planning can be a very difficult process. While it’s not brain surgery, making the decision to move forward with the planning requires us to face the fact that we will not live forever. This thought can stop many people right in their tracks. Others talk themselves out of seeing a qualified attorney to put…