You may have seen ads running in the Mercury News and perhaps other media outlets for Trust Seminars presented by a San Diego-based law firm. These specific ads attempt to entice you by promising a “free kindle” and a “free dinner” for those who attend the seminars they are giving while they visit the Bay Area.
They claim to “fix” trusts. Their ads suggest that any trust done by anyone other than them is flawed. No surprise: They conclude that only they can fix it. We have seen marketing like this many times over the years.
We have been national and community leaders in this field for over 30 years. We know and are familiar with the real-world issues that trusts must address. We author articles and legal form books that attorneys across the nation rely upon. We have successfully represented thousands of individuals in the Bay Area, including many business and community leaders.
We want to assure you, as a client of Gilfix & La Poll or individual who has a relationship with our office, that we give you the best and most comprehensive representation in the field. Our revocable trusts do not have the problems these marketers identify. Gilfix & La Poll addresses more issues, more comprehensively, than virtually any other firm in the nation.
We have seen this firm’s list of trust document “flaws” that they identify. These lists can be misleading and it is important for you to know that planning must go beyond overly simplistic checklists.
- Our trusts and related planning documents cover every base and offer all the legal tools and protections needed to ensure that you have the power to keep your estate safe.
- Our Family Protection Trusts offer the powerful protections for your children — protection against divorce, against litigation and against future estate tax — that their checklist correctly identifies as important.
- We deal with and understand additional issues they and so many others do not address, including issues related to long-term care planning and special needs.
This type of marketing conjures many confusing “straw man” arguments, where a false problem is presented and then “solved.” Do not be misled by catchy marketing and offers of free meals or gadgets. If you have a trust with another firm, we are happy to take a look and to identify real issues, and we won’t use a superficial approach to do it.
If you have any questions about this, or any other issue related to your planning, give us a call. We might not give you a free kindle, but we will take good care of you and your family.
The Gilfix & La Poll Team
Pioneers of Elder Law – For over 30 years, Gilfix & La Poll Associates LLP has innovated creative legal solutions to help you manage and plan the future of your estate. To contact an estate planning lawyer visit www.gilfix.com or call 800.244.9424.
The post A Warning About Ads to “Fix” Your Trust first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>You may have seen ads running in the Mercury News and perhaps other media outlets for Trust Seminars presented by a San Diego-based law firm. These specific ads attempt to entice you by promising a “free kindle” and a “free dinner” for those who attend the seminars they are giving while they visit the Bay Area.
They claim to “fix” trusts. Their ads suggest that any trust done by anyone other than them is flawed. No surprise: They conclude that only they can fix it. We have seen marketing like this many times over the years.
We have been national and community leaders in this field for over 30 years. We know and are familiar with the real-world issues that trusts must address. We author articles and legal form books that attorneys across the nation rely upon. We have successfully represented thousands of individuals in the Bay Area, including many business and community leaders.
We want to assure you, as a client of Gilfix & La Poll or individual who has a relationship with our office, that we give you the best and most comprehensive representation in the field. Our revocable trusts do not have the problems these marketers identify. Gilfix & La Poll addresses more issues, more comprehensively, than virtually any other firm in the nation.
We have seen this firm’s list of trust document “flaws” that they identify. These lists can be misleading and it is important for you to know that planning must go beyond overly simplistic checklists.
- Our trusts and related planning documents cover every base and offer all the legal tools and protections needed to ensure that you have the power to keep your estate safe.
- Our Family Protection Trusts offer the powerful protections for your children — protection against divorce, against litigation and against future estate tax — that their checklist correctly identifies as important.
- We deal with and understand additional issues they and so many others do not address, including issues related to long-term care planning and special needs.
This type of marketing conjures many confusing “straw man” arguments, where a false problem is presented and then “solved.” Do not be misled by catchy marketing and offers of free meals or gadgets. If you have a trust with another firm, we are happy to take a look and to identify real issues, and we won’t use a superficial approach to do it.
If you have any questions about this, or any other issue related to your planning, give us a call. We might not give you a free kindle, but we will take good care of you and your family.
The Gilfix & La Poll Team
Pioneers of Elder Law – For over 30 years, Gilfix & La Poll Associates LLP has innovated creative legal solutions to help you manage and plan the future of your estate. To contact an estate planning lawyer visit www.gilfix.com or call 800.244.9424.
The post A Warning About Ads to “Fix” Your Trust first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>
The leading online source for information about lifestyles in San Francisco, 7×7.com, interviewed attorney Mark Gerson Gilfix on April 6 to ask him about his views on life in the Bay Area, his professional background, and his work as an advocate and planner for autistic and special needs children. The latter issue is a key focus of the interview, as Gilfix stresses how the legacy of his family’s deep roots in the special needs community has served as an inspiration for him, and that special needs planning is a top specialty of Gilfix & La Poll Associates.In “We Wanna Be Friends with Actor and Autism Advocate Mark Gilfix,” Gilfix talks about how his family’s 35-year-plus involvement with and services for the special needs community resonated with him from his childhood in Palo Alto through his college days at Stanford. He talks about his professional career that first took him to Los Angeles for stints working as a management consultant and as a professional actor. In fact, Gilfix paid for law school by simultaneously working over 25 hours a week as a management consultant and auditioning for and working in commercials and on TV shows while he attended Loyola Law School’s evening program. Notably, he still graduated in the top 5 of his class.
Gilfix continues to accept some limited acting work in his spare time — he is a voice for Red Bull videos and has previously appeared in some iconic television shows and in commercials for some of the world’s top brands, perhaps most notably helping introduce Apple’s Siri to the world. But while he greatly enjoyed acting and management consulting, he talks about the increased impact, and the meaningful, positive difference he has been able to make since he returned to the Bay Area to practice law and serve families with special needs children.
People who want to learn more about Gilfix will greatly enjoy the 7×7 interview. And families with special needs children will be able to meet Mark and get valuable legal advice on the topic at the 11th Annual Special Needs Trust Seminar at the Crowne Plaza Cabana in Palo Alto on April 9 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Additional information on this free event is available on this website.
Read the full 7×7 interview here..
The post Mark Gilfix discusses his background, San Francisco and special needs families in 7×7 interview first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>Wealthy parents from Bill Gates to Sting have publicly declared that their children will have to make their own money. And according to a recent article in CNBC, a number of Bay Area parents are following suit, fearing the implications of handing down too much money.
But increasingly, a number of private individuals and wealth advisors are expressing more nuanced views.
Wealthy parents have a unique opportunity to raise their children to be responsible and principled wealth managers, regardless of the size of their inheritance. Parents with the opportunity to engage in significant charitable giving can and should involve children in the process of examining opportunities and deciding how to give. In addition, many experts recommend that parents engage teens in setting up and managing retirement funds.
On the flip side, some parents must face the reality of a child or family member with personal problems, such as addiction or frequent legal trouble, that cause irresponsible financial decision-making. Wealth experts point out that in these cases, when an inheritance really can do more harm than good, parents now have a host of options for trusts that support their child in meaningful and structured ways.
For most experts, the consensus seems to be that it is not the inheritance that will make or break the child, but rather the understanding of how to use and manage wealth. Regardless of the choices that parents make about the size and distribution of an inheritance, experts agree that clear and open communication with one’s children about the what and the why of inheritance decisions is crucial.
Pioneers of Elder Law – For over 30 years, Gilfix & La Poll Associates LLP has innovated creative legal solutions to help you manage and plan the future of your estate.
To contact an estate planning lawyer visit http://www.gilfix.com/ or call 800.244.9424.
While many resources exist for the parents of adult children with disabilities, new resources specifically designed for adult siblings can be found as well.
Perhaps the most important search for the adult sibling of a disabled individual is for the right support and information. Connecting with others locally who are dealing with similar practical and legal complexities can help. In the Bay Area, Parents and Caregivers of Adult Children with Disabilities (PACDD) offers a siblings-only support group that meets in person on a monthly basis. The group discusses both practical issues and personal concerns of those involved in the care and support of a brother or sister with a disability.
PACDD also offers a wealth of online resources and information for any adult closely involved with helping a special needs individual.
Another key consideration is advance planning for medical care. Many adult siblings will have more peace of mind knowing that their disabled brother’s or sister’s wishes and values will be taken into consideration when critical or end-of-life medical decisions must be made. The Coalition of Compassionate Care of California (CCCC) has created a workbook called “Thinking Ahead,” which includes illustrations, stories and worksheets to help anyone discuss medical care and end-of-life wishes with a disabled adult.
Finally, a letter of intent is an essential guide for adult siblings in a support role. If the letter of intent already exists, a review of the letter can be a good place to start a discussion about the future with parents, other adult siblings and any other parties closely involved.
If the letter does not exist, the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center has created a tip sheet called “Adult Siblings of Individuals with Disabilities” that includes a basic overview of the letter of intent.
Pioneers of Elder Law – For over 30 years, Gilfix & La Poll Associates LLP has innovated creative legal solutions to help you manage and plan the future of your estate.
To contact a special needs planning lawyer visit http://www.gilfix.com/ or call 800.244.9424.