You may have seen the ads. They depict tragic scenarios – mouths clogged with peanut butter, cookies with nowhere to be dipped – truly, we are warned of the horrors awaiting those with an inadequate dairy...
Fifty years ago, Clairol tantalized the country with the question, “Does she. . . or doesn’t she?” Ostensibly, the answer was about hair coloring (“Only her hairdresser knows for sure”) but that...
You’ve shopped. You’ve found. You’ve spent. And now that the holidays are over, what’s left to remind you of all those perfect gifts you found? Often, the answer is: nothing but your depleted bank account. If you’re...
There are lots of things that you can do for yourself without professional help. I know how to mend a ripped seam, how to change a flat tire, and the best way to remove a splinter. I can even make my own soup when I’m...
Starting in January 2016, California is beginning an experiment in estate planning and real estate. Until now, a revocable living trust was the only way for most homeowners to avoid the long and expensive court process...
You finally did it. You made a will, set up a trust, took care of all your estate planning. Whew — you’re all done! Or are you? Anna Nicole Smith wrote a will when she was only 33 years old. At the time,...
I’m proud to belong to my local Rotary Club. So when this month’s Rotary magazine arrived, I was delighted to see an article about ethical wills. An ethical will is a non-binding document that is intended to share...
Later this month, green shamrocks and Irish jokes will abound. Pubs will suddenly be even more popular; diners will put corned beef and cabbage on their menus. You’ll even start seeing images of leprechauns everywhere,...
I just got a call from a woman in another state. She’d been reading my blog, she said, and she just wanted someone to talk to about her situation. Well, I’m only qualified to give legal advice in California, so that’s...
We all know the mantra: “safety first”. Since it was first recorded as an accident-prevention slogan in 1873, it’s never fallen out of use. We want to make sure that our food, our children’s toys, and our communities...