[ Home ] [ Komo Mai ] [ Credentials ] [ Web Court ] [ Wills and Trusts ] [ Asset Protection ] [ Tax Tips ] [ Tax Free ]

What's New? 

You have reached my home in the internet. My mission is to help you to give far more to the people and causes you love most than can occur by your doing nothing or by a simple will. Please come in to have a look around. Perhaps begin with $2million tax free Hawaii home sale

What's New? 

Many of us have no confidence the purported "estate tax repeal" will remain to year 2010.

We continue to counsel our California and Hawaii clients to create comprehensive trusts, to protect assets worldwide, to avoid probate and lawfully minimize or avoid estate tax. This advice is based on current Federal and State transfer tax laws (gift and death taxes) so as to let our law clients receive the benefits of well-established techniques and build greater flexibility into their family estate plans.

Please visit www.stricklin.org There you will learn how you can give more than may be possible with only a simple will to the people and the causes that you love the most with a “zero estate tax plan.”

Good News for CRTs! In late November, the Treasury department issued proposed regulations (REG-11089698) clarifying how the ordering rules apply to distributions from Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRT). The guidance offered by these proposed regulations makes CRTs even more attractive than they were before. The ordering rules pertaining to distributions are clear and Trustees have an incentive to hold stock that pays high dividends because dividends, now taxable at the maximum long-term capital gain rate of 15%, are distributable before gain subject to higher income tax rates. In the future, perhaps 60% or 70% of CRT distributions will be taxed to the CRT beneficiary(s) at a 15% rate rather than the higher 35% rate. This presents a great opportunity and CRT Trustees should immediately review trust portfolios to maximize the distribution of 15% taxable income.

$1,450 California or Hawaii "Zero Probate" Living Trust Package; or $1,950 Hawaii or California "Zero Tax Zero Probate" Living Trust Package: If you decide to purchase one of the Living Trust "Packages" and do so within sixty (60) days after your Initial Conference your $300 retainer will be applied to discount legal fees. The question is - would you rather repeal your own Federal estate tax right now or wait to see whether Congress repeals the estate tax for everyone?

$9,750 California or Hawaii Comprehensive Effective Asset Protection within the USA and Worldwide. Your legal fee includes all the $1,950 California or Hawaii "Zero Tax Zero Probate" Living Trust Package. Please note that the bona fide purpose of "Asset Protection" at this site is just exactly what the two words say: To protect assets, to enable you to provide security for your family and for yourself before entering into professions or ventures so often targeted for confiscatory lawsuits in the United States of America, a nation that some observers say “may be among the most litigious countries in the world.”

Legal Fees: What are the total legal fees for a Hawaii or California “Living Trust Package"? Scheduled legal fees for a ‘basic package’ (15 documents as listed below) are $1,450.00 in calendar year 2003:

What about a Hawaii or California "Zero Estate Tax No Probate Fee Living Trust Package" that includes more? What are the total fees for that?

For couples who also settle a Hawaii or a California ‘tax exempt trust’ in addition to a ‘living trust’ and ‘pour over wills’ scheduled fees for the Hawaii or California "Zero Estate Tax No Probate Fee Living Trust Package" are just $1,950. including everything in the $1,450 package.  Other factors may apply depending on your family circumstances.

What is included in a Hawaii or California "Living Trust Package"?

A Hawaii or California "Living Trust Package" often includes:

1. First, there is an initial legal consultation which may occur face to face in San Francisco or for convenience by using the telephone anywhere in California or Hawaii, or for that matter, anywhere worldwide if you’re a California or Hawaii resident where I am licensed.

How do I start? You may schedule an initial conference by email to me bill@stricklin.com
At the agreed-upon time you may CALL Hawaii 808-265-0808 or CALL Santa Barbara 805-680-2092 or CALL San Francisco 415-710-5362.  You may then ask any questions.

If you decide to settle the living trust package and then to familiarize yourselves with the requirements and guidelines set forth in our 12-page memo to our Living Trust clients, you should be able to maintain a fully effective Trust arrangement with little effort.

2. A California Living Trust (1) for CA residents or Hawaii Living Trust (1) for HI clients. If needed we also provide a Revocation of Trusts to let you revoke all prior living trusts.

3. Pour Over Wills (2)

4. Durable Powers of Attorney for Assets (2)

5. Property status agreement to clarify community property.

6.  Trust Transfers (2) to convey property title to your new trust.

7. Deed to Trust (California and/or Hawaii residence) (1)

If necessary, at no additional legal fee to our law office, we will help you to identify out of state counsel in order for you to purchase from him or her a Deed to Trust to transfer out- of- state properties to Trust. (This is the only additional charge above a package fee.)

8. Instructions for Title Transfers.

9. Advance Health Care Directives (2)

10. Long Term Care Insurance Analysis (2)

11. Life Insurance Summary (1)

12. Trust Property Inventory (1)

13. Location List of Papers (1)

14.  Funeral Instructions (2)

15. Anatomical Gifts (if requested) (2)

For couples who would like to settle a California or Hawaii ‘tax exempt trust’ (besides basic ‘living trust’ and ‘pour over wills’) scheduled fees for the Hawaii or California "Zero Tax No Probate Living Trust Package" are lump sum $1,950 during 2003 for married couples who are fairly well organized. Other factors may apply if complex, depending on family circumstances. Add the following to your list if you prefer such a zero tax  package

16.  “Tax Exempt Trust”

17. ILIT (Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust) to keep life insurance proceeds out of 55% taxable estate. [ILIT is also available here as a standalone trust at a total legal fee of $300. If your estate already is above the "exemption" and taxable at your death, please consider letting the ILIT be the "applicant" for your life insurance policy (NOT you) in order to let your life insurance proceeds stay outside your estate - without payment of death taxes.]

18. Zero Estate Tax Suggestions

Asset Protection

Who needs to bother with asset protection?

Legal Fees:  What are the total legal fees for a "Worldwide Asset Protection Package"? $9750

  Asset Protection    

Asset Protection in The Cook Islands.  

Legal fees for drafting a comprehensive asset protection trust and first year trustee fees and costs, overseas barrister fees, including travel costs, generally total USD$9,750.00

Click to read about Asset Protection

^{William A. Stricklin, California and Hawaii Counselor at Law, Mediator and Arbitrator, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Statewide California and Hawaii (All Islands) Law and Legal Services, International Business, Business and Economy, Business and Finance, Money and Investing, Trade and Finance, Insurance, Commercial Organization, Regional U.S.A., USA, Companies, Business Professions: Law, Internet Business Services, Business to Business, Business Services, Online Business Services, ADR, Mediation, Arbitration, Transnational Litigation, International Dispute Resolution using the Internet, Wills, Trusts; Durable Powers for Assets, California Advance Medical Directives, Hawaii Advance Medical Directives, Durable Powers for Health Care Decisions, Living Wills, Family Farm and Ranch Succession Planning; Family Business Succession Planning, Zero-Estate-Tax and Zero Probate Fees, Family Wealth Transfers without Probate, Alaska Trusts, Cook Islands Trusts, Worldwide Asset Protection, Personal Foundations,}

William A. Stricklin, Counselor at Law, is duly licensed in the States of California and Hawaii as an active member of the Bar and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States of America, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the United States of America Tax Court of Appeals, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, the United States District Court for the State of Hawaii, the Supreme Court of the State of California, and the Supreme Court for the State of Hawaii. Lawyers are governed on a state-by-state basis by Rules of Professional Conduct or Codes of Professional Responsibility. These rules may require lawyers to notify potential clients of certain information. The following list of state disclaimers, disclosures or notices is intended to comply with those requirements for each state in which William A. Stricklin is licensed to practice law; he may serve as a mediator worldwide. Every legal matter is unique and the length of time and cost of providing legal services for your circumstances may be more or less than the average. Under Standard 12 of Rule 1-400 of the California Rules of Professional Conduct, William A. Stricklin, Counselor at Law, is identified as the lawyer responsible for the contents of this site. Under Standard 13 of Rule 1-400 of the California Rules of Professional Conduct, you are informed that persons other than William A. Stricklin depicted on the site sometimes are models and for the purpose of this rule, this is a dramatization. Under the State Bar Act, Article 9, Section 6157.5, those lawyers providing services related to immigration and naturalization to those in California are active members of the California State Bar, licensed to practice law in California. Under Rule 7.2 (d) of the Hawaii Rules of Professional Conduct, William A. Stricklin, Counselor at Law, is identified as a lawyer responsible for the contents of this site. Under Rule 7.2 (d) of the Washington Rules of Professional Conduct, William A. Stricklin, Counselor at Law, is identified as a lawyer responsible for the contents of this site.

^{Internet publication by www.stricklin.com and www.stricklin.org is solely for communication and use with potential and existing law clients and for in-house duplication. This web publication is designed to provide accurate, authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is made available on a case-by-case basis for potential and existing clients with the understanding that William A. Stricklin, Counselor at Law, Mediator and Arbitrator,  www.stricklin.org and www.stricklin.com as publishers are not engaged in rendering any legal, tax, accounting, or other professional services. If legal advice, tax advice or any other expertness is required, the services of your own competent duly licensed law professional who is familiar with your circumstances should be sought and confirmed by mutually signed written legal services retainer agreement. From: A Declaration of Principles, jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association (ABA) and a Committee of Publishers.}

1-415-710-5362  BillSanFrancisco@aol.com

  E-3307 Opera Plaza, 601 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco CA USA 94102