Law Office of Keoni Souza

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Law Office of Keoni Souza Experienced Honolulu estate planning attorney committed to serving families and businesses in Hawaii.

I provide planning and protection for your entire family — even your minor children — beyond traditional estate plans. Wills, Trusts, Health Care Directives, Powers of Attorney, Kids Protection Plans, and more.

I know estate planning asks people to make time for conversations they may have been putting off—and to share parts of t...
10/15/2026

I know estate planning asks people to make time for conversations they may have been putting off—and to share parts of their lives that are deeply personal.

I appreciate that trust.

Helping families talk through their choices, ask questions, and put their wishes into words is work I find meaningful.

One setting checked. One planning question still open.Apple’s Legacy Contact feature lets a designated person request ac...
10/14/2026

One setting checked. One planning question still open.

Apple’s Legacy Contact feature lets a designated person request access to certain account data after your death. It does not provide access while you’re living but unable to manage your accounts.

It also excludes passwords, passkeys, and payment information stored in iCloud Keychain.

The feature can be useful. Understanding its purpose helps you see which other questions still need attention.

If you’ve enabled a legacy setting and considered your online account planning finished, this week’s article is worth a read.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3WeBDUX

Every household seems to have a resident account expert.The person who knows which email goes with which login—and why t...
10/14/2026

Every household seems to have a resident account expert.

The person who knows which email goes with which login—and why the insurance documents are saved in a folder with a completely unrelated name.

If that sounds familiar, consider how someone else would take over those responsibilities without your running commentary.

A secure record of important accounts can help. So can understanding the access arrangements and legal authority someone may need.

This week’s blog explains where to start: https://bit.ly/3WeBDUX

There may be no stack of mail to tell your spouse which bill needs attention.No paper statement pointing to an account. ...
10/13/2026

There may be no stack of mail to tell your spouse which bill needs attention.

No paper statement pointing to an account. No insurance folder on the shelf.

When household records live online, someone stepping in to help may first have to discover what exists.

That’s a practical planning issue for Hawaiʻi households—and one worth considering while you can still explain where things are and how they work.

If you missed this week’s blog, it covers the information, access arrangements, and legal planning questions that deserve attention beyond sharing passwords.

Read the full article: https://bit.ly/3WeBDUX

“Good planning considers the everyday responsibilities someone may need to take over for you.”One thing I appreciate abo...
10/12/2026

“Good planning considers the everyday responsibilities someone may need to take over for you.”

One thing I appreciate about estate planning is the opportunity to talk about how a family actually functions.

Who handles the payments? Who keeps the records? Who would step in if that person needed help?

Those details may seem ordinary, but they help connect your legal decisions to the responsibilities your loved ones could face.

This week’s article looks at a part of that conversation that’s easy to overlook: your online accounts.

Read the blog: https://bit.ly/3WeBDUX

Q: My spouse has my passwords. What else would they need?A: That depends on the account—and what they need to do.Checkin...
10/09/2026

Q: My spouse has my passwords. What else would they need?

A: That depends on the account—and what they need to do.

Checking a balance and asking a provider to make a change are different situations. A password alone doesn’t establish legal authority, and account security may still require a code or approval from your device.

When I talk with families about incapacity planning, I want them to consider the practical side alongside the legal documents: what someone would need to find, what responsibilities would need attention, and which access arrangements apply.

That last question matters. Some tools are designed for use after death, rather than while you’re living but unable to manage things yourself.

Read this week’s article for a useful starting point: https://bit.ly/3WeBDUX

“We’ve divided up the responsibilities.”That works well—until the person who handles the bills, insurance, or household ...
10/08/2026

“We’ve divided up the responsibilities.”

That works well—until the person who handles the bills, insurance, or household records can’t explain how everything runs.

Your spouse might know the bank you use. But which account pays the mortgage? Where is the insurance policy? And what would the provider require before allowing someone else to help?

For many Hawaiʻi families, these small details deserve a place in the estate planning conversation.

This week’s article explores what your loved ones may need beyond a password—and where to begin.

Read the full article: https://bit.ly/3WeBDUX

One of the most meaningful parts of this work is knowing that families trust me with conversations they may have been pu...
10/08/2026

One of the most meaningful parts of this work is knowing that families trust me with conversations they may have been putting off for years.

Estate planning can feel deeply personal because it is deeply personal. We talk about children, relationships, property, responsibilities, and the people you would want beside your family during some of life’s hardest moments.

That is why I never want the process to feel like a transaction.

I’m grateful every time a Hawaii family gives me the opportunity to listen, understand what matters to them, and help turn those priorities into a thoughtful plan.

Your spouse is the primary beneficiary.Your children are the backups.The form says “complete.”But the planning may not b...
10/07/2026

Your spouse is the primary beneficiary.

Your children are the backups.

The form says “complete.”

But the planning may not be.

If your children are still minors when life insurance proceeds become payable, additional questions arise about who can legally receive and manage those funds on their behalf.

That is why I encourage parents to look beyond the names on the beneficiary form.

Who would manage the money?

How should it be used while your children are young?

When should your children receive control?

Would the arrangement you selected actually create the structure you intended?

Naming another adult and simply trusting that person to “use the money for the kids” is very different from establishing a legal structure with defined responsibilities.

For parents, the backup beneficiary deserves more than a quick entry at the bottom of a form.

It deserves thoughtful planning.

This week’s article explains what to consider and how beneficiary choices fit into the rest of your estate plan.
https://bit.ly/3Vl3a6X

Me: “Spouse is listed. Beneficiary form finished.”The contingent beneficiary section: “Not so fast.”That second line can...
10/07/2026

Me: “Spouse is listed. Beneficiary form finished.”

The contingent beneficiary section: “Not so fast.”

That second line can raise some surprisingly important questions—especially when the backup beneficiaries are minor children.

Who manages the money? How is it used? When do the children receive control?

A beneficiary review is about more than confirming that every blank has a name in it.

Address

1188 Bishop Street , Ste. 2706
Honolulu, HI
96813

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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