DeCosimo Law

What will your family remember most about you?

Will it be your house...
Your investments...

Or your famous holiday recipes, family traditions, and the stories only you could tell?

A trust protects your assets, but a legacy letter preserves you.

In our newest blog, Deanna shares a touching personal story about a handwritten cookbook from her grandmother and why it forever changed the way she thinks about estate planning.

Because sometimes the most meaningful inheritance isn't measured in dollars.

https://www.decosimolaw.com/blog/what-is-a-legacy-letter



❤️ Read the blog here:
https://www.decosimolaw.com/blog/what-is-a-legacy-letter

www.decosimolaw.com

Did you inherit an IRA, or expect to someday?

The rules changed under the SECURE Act, and many beneficiaries are surprised to learn they may have only 5 years, 10 years, or (in some cases) a lifetime to withdraw inherited retirement funds. The timeline depends on who inherited the IRA, when the original owner passed away, and other important factors.

Making the wrong move could lead to unnecessary taxes and missed planning opportunities.

Our latest blog explains:
✅ Who qualifies for the 5-year, 10-year, or lifetime rules
✅ How the SECURE Act changed inherited IRAs
✅ Common mistakes beneficiaries should avoid
✅ Why coordinating your estate plan with your beneficiary designations matters

Read the full article here:
🔗 https://www.decosimolaw.com/blog/inherited-an-ira-the-secure-act-determines-whether-you-get-five-years-ten-years-or-a-lifetime

If you have retirement accounts or want to make things easier for your loved ones, thoughtful estate planning today can help prevent costly surprises tomorrow.

SECURE Act IRA Beneficiary Rules Explained: Who Can Still Stretch an Inherited IRA? — DeCosimo Law Learn how the SECURE Act changed inherited IRA rules, who qualifies for lifetime "stretch" distributions, and how beneficiary designations can dramatically impact taxes.

What if your child inherits your California home... but probate takes too long?

Most people know probate can be slow.

What many don't realize is that Proposition 19's one-year deadline doesn't wait for probate to finish.

For many inherited family homes, an eligible child who wants to preserve the parent's favorable property tax assessment generally must establish the home as their principal residence and satisfy certain filing requirements within one year of the parent's death—not one year after probate ends.

That timing can create unexpected challenges for families who thought they had plenty of time.

In my latest article, I explain:
🏡 How probate and Proposition 19 can collide
⏰ Why the one-year deadline matters
📋 What families should know before it's too late
📖 How proper estate planning can help avoid unnecessary complications

If your estate plan hasn't been reviewed since Proposition 19 became law, now is a good time to revisit it.

👉 Read the full article here: https://www.decosimolaw.com/blog/the-clock-that-doesnt-wait-for-the-courthouse-prop-19-and-california-probate-delays

This post is for general informational purposes only and is not legal or tax advice. Every situation is different.

Prop 19 and California Probate: The One-Year Deadline That Doesn't Wait for Court (2026) — DeCosimo Law Probate can take 12–18 months in California — but Prop 19's one-year deadline to inherit your parent's tax base doesn't pause for the courthouse. Here's what families need to know.

Most people think estate planning ends with signing a trust or will. But some of the hardest moments for grieving families aren't legal — they're logistical. Where's the safe deposit box key? Who's the guy who mows the lawn? What's the login for the electric bill?

A simple "When I'm Gone" workbook can answer all of it, saving
your loved ones from digging through drawers and guessing passwords during one of the hardest times of their lives.

Read our latest blog post to see what to include 👇
https://www.decosimolaw.com/blog/the-when-im-gone-workbook-one-of-the-greatest-gifts-you-can-leave-your-loved-ones

The "When I'm Gone" Workbook: A Gift Beyond Your Will — DeCosimo Law Estate planning protects your assets. A "When I'm Gone" workbook protects your family from confusion and guesswork. See what to include in 2026.

Summer is when Southern California families make big moves — helping adult kids buy a home, transferring the rental property, writing the big check.

But in 2026, two California rules are catching families off guard:

🔴 California's reinstated Medi-Cal look-back period means gifts made NOW can trigger a penalty period if you need nursing home care within the next 30 months.

🔴 Prop 19 means transferring a rental property to your kids during your lifetime can trigger a full property tax reassessment — costing thousands per year, permanently.

We just published a plain-English guide to both traps — and what to do instead. Link in comments.

Read More: https://www.decosimolaw.com/blog/the-summer-of-transfers-why-gifting-to-your-kids-in-2026-could-backfire-on-you

The Summer of Transfers: Why Gifting to Your Kids in 2026 Could Backfire on You | Decosimo Law — DeCosimo Law Thinking about helping your adult kids buy a home or transfer the rental property this summer? California's new Medi-Cal look-back rules and Prop 19 could turn your generosity into a costly mistake. A California estate planning attorney explains the two traps to avoid in 2026.

Imagine this: Your mother is 78, sharp as a tack, and living independently in the home she's owned for 35 years. You're not worried — she has some savings, a paid-off house, and you've always assumed that if she ever needed a nursing home, Medi-Cal would be there to help.

That assumption just got a lot more complicated.

In the span of a single year, two major legal changes — one from Washington D.C. and one from Sacramento — have quietly rewritten the rules on how Californians pay for long-term care. Together, they affect how much your parents need to save, whether they can qualify for help, and critically, whether the family home will be there for you to inherit when they're gone.

This isn't a distant, theoretical problem. For families with aging parents, it's happening right now. Read more...

Medi-Cal & Long-Term Care: What California Families Must Know in 2026 — DeCosimo Law New federal and California laws have changed who qualifies for Medi-Cal nursing home coverage — and your family home may be at risk. Here's what to do now.

Did you enter our raffle at the Murrieta Father's Day Car Show? If so, make sure to visit our IG page at noon today to see if you're the winner!

RTIC Cooler Giveaway Winner Announced Today at Noon! The winner must arrange to pick up the cooler from our office in Old Town Temecula. If we do not hear back from the winner by Friday, we will select and announce a new winner.

Did you set up a living trust in California? 🏡

Here's something most families don't find out until it's too late: **a trust only protects what's actually inside it.**

If your home is still titled in your own name — and not in the name of your trust — it will go through full California probate when you pass away. That can cost your family $20,000 or more and take over a year in court. Even if you have a beautiful, professionally drafted trust sitting in your filing cabinet.

It's called an **unfunded trust**, and it's one of the most common estate planning mistakes in California today.

The fix? Pull up your county property records right now and look at how your home is titled. If it doesn't say "Trustee of [Your] Living Trust" — it's time to make a call. 📞

👉 Read the full post to learn exactly what to check, why this happens, and how to fix it before it becomes your family's problem.

https://www.decosimolaw.com/blog/the-trust-was-supposed-to-protect-everything-it-didnt

Your California Living Trust Might Be Useless — And You'd Never Know It — DeCosimo Law You paid for a living trust in California — but is your home actually in it? Thousands of families discover too late that an unfunded trust offers zero protection. Here's what to check and why it matters more than ever in 2026.

Did you name your grandchildren on your retirement account? In California, that may not be enough.

Most people assume a signed beneficiary designation form settles the question of who inherits their retirement savings. But California families face three separate legal obstacles that can override that form entirely — and most people have never heard of any of them.

① Federal ERISA spousal consent rules can void a 401(k) or pension beneficiary designation if your spouse never signed a notarized waiver — no matter whose names are on the form.

② The SECURE Act (2020) eliminated the "stretch IRA" that allowed grandchildren to draw on inherited retirement accounts slowly over a lifetime. Today, most non-spouse beneficiaries must empty the account within 10 years — often during their highest-earning, highest-taxed years.

③ California community property law means your spouse may already legally own half of your IRA — even a personal IRA in your name only — making any designation that ignores that ownership vulnerable to a legal challenge after your death.

We walk through a real San Fernando Valley family's story and break down how all three of these laws collided to unravel a plan that looked perfectly reasonable on paper.
If you haven't reviewed your beneficiary designations recently — especially if they were set up before 2020 — this is worth a read.

👉 https://www.decosimolaw.com/blog/when-beneficiary-designations-fail

When Beneficiary Designations Fail in California: ERISA, the SECURE Act & Community Property — DeCosimo Law In California, naming grandchildren on a retirement account isn't enough. Federal spousal consent rules, the SECURE Act's 10-year rule, and California community property law can all override your designation. Here's what families need to know.

You're helping your mom with her medications, cheering at your kid's soccer game, and somehow keeping everything else afloat. You are holding two generations together — and that is extraordinary. But here's the hard question: what happens to all of them if something happens to you? Our newest blog post is written specifically for the sandwich generation — California families caring for aging parents while still raising kids. We break down the four documents that protect everyone counting on you, not just after you're gone, but if you simply can't show up tomorrow. Link in bio. 💛

#𝖯𝗋𝗈𝗍𝖾𝖼𝗍𝖸𝗈𝗎𝗋𝖥𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗒

Read more:

Sandwich Generation? Your Estate Plan Protects Everyone You're Juggling — DeCosimo Law If you're raising kids while caring for aging parents, estate planning isn't just about death — it's about protecting every person who needs you right now. Here's what California families need to know. (198 characters — trim to: "Raising kids while caring for aging parents? California's sandwic