Adell Law Offices, 5950 Canoga Avenue , Suite 601, Woodland Hills, CA (2026)

08/25/2026

RIP Willis Knotright

Willis thought he could handle his estate plan himself.

Maybe he downloaded a form online. Maybe he scribbled down his wishes on a piece of paper. Maybe he copied a friend's will and plugged in his own information. Or maybe he relied on an attorney friend who was successful in another area of law but did not regularly practice estate planning.

Unfortunately, what seemed simple at the time left his family with unanswered questions, conflicting interpretations, and a lot of arguments after he was gone.

Over the years, I've seen handwritten "wills," incomplete online documents, unclear beneficiary provisions, missing signatures, and plans that failed to account for real-life situations. Too often, these mistakes lead to family conflict, court proceedings, delays, and expenses that could have been avoided.

Estate planning is more complicated than many people realize. There are legal requirements that must be followed, language that must be carefully drafted, and countless "what if" scenarios that should be addressed. What seems straightforward on the surface can create significant problems if it is not done properly. This is one area where trying to do it yourself can end up costing your loved ones far more in the long run.

Don't be like Willis. Make sure your estate plan is done right.

08/18/2026

You Created a Trust... But Did You Forget About Your Beneficiary Designations?

Many people spend the time and money to create a comprehensive estate plan, only to overlook one critical piece of the puzzle: their beneficiary designations.

Assets such as retirement accounts, life insurance policies, annuities, and many investment accounts pass according to the beneficiary designation on file—not according to the instructions in your trust or will.

In other words, even if your trust says one thing, an outdated or inconsistent beneficiary designation may direct those assets somewhere else.

That's why it's so important to think of your beneficiary designations as an integral part of your estate plan—not as separate documents that can be forgotten once they're completed.

When reviewing your estate plan, ask yourself:

• Are my beneficiary designations still current?
• Are they consistent with the goals of my trust?
• Have I named appropriate contingent beneficiaries?
• If my children are still minors, have I considered whether naming them directly is the best option?
• Do these designations still make sense given changes in my family, finances, or overall wishes?

A thoughtfully prepared estate plan is like a puzzle. Your trust, will, powers of attorney, and beneficiary designations are all pieces that need to fit together. If one piece is inconsistent or overlooked, your overall plan may not work the way you intended.

Reviewing your beneficiary designations periodically—and whenever there is a significant life change—is one of the simplest and most important steps you can take to help ensure your estate plan works as a whole.

08/11/2026

When One Child Does Most of the Caregiving… Should They Inherit More?

It’s a family dynamic I see often: one child lives nearby and handles the appointments, emergencies, errands, and day-to-day care of an aging parent, while the other siblings are less involved.

The caregiving child may feel resentful—and may believe that a sibling who suddenly becomes more present near the end is simply showing up for an inheritance.

But the sibling who lives farther away may see things very differently. They may be showing up because they are about to lose their parent and are dealing with their own grief, regret, or sadness about the relationship.

Then comes the estate plan.

Should the child who did more receive more? Should the children inherit equally? There isn’t one right answer. But inheritance decisions can carry an emotional meaning far beyond the dollars involved—and can deepen existing family wounds if those dynamics aren’t considered carefully.

I wrote more about this complicated issue, including things parents should think about when planning their estates, in my latest blog:

Read more: https://www.adell-law.com/blogs/when-one-child-does-the-caregiving--estate-planning-and-family-dynamics

08/04/2026

Pot Trusts for Children: Flexibility During Childhood, Fairness in the End

When creating an estate plan for the benefit of young children, one important decision is whether each child should receive a separate equal allocation from the beginning, or whether all of the assets should be held together in a single "pot trust" until they are older.

There isn’t a single right answer, but many families choose a pot trust during childhood for its flexibility and practicality.

Think about how most parents actually raise their children. They don’t keep a running ledger of every dollar spent on each child. One child may need braces, another tutoring, another travel sports, and another music lessons. Parents generally focus on meeting each child’s needs as they arise, not on ensuring that every dollar is spent evenly.

A pot trust works in much the same way. Instead of dividing the inheritance into separate shares immediately, the trustee has access to one combined fund that can be used for whichever child needs support at a given time. The emphasis is on meeting each child's needs as they arise, rather than spending perfectly equal from year to year.

As children grow into adulthood, however, many parents’ goals shift. If one child has already received significant lifetime support—such as help with a home purchase or other major financial assistance—parents often want those lifetime gifts taken into account so that the ultimate inheritance is balanced among their children. For that reason, many estate plans provide that the pot trust continues only through a certain age or milestone, after which the remaining assets are divided into separate, equal shares for each child.

A well-designed estate plan can adapt as children grow - providing flexibility during childhood, while allowing for equal division and financial independence in adulthood. The right approach depends on each family's goals, values, and circumstances.

07/28/2026

Four Generations. One Legacy.

I was incredibly fortunate to know my great-grandmother—the remarkable woman on the left in this photo. She may have been small in stature, but she was strong, spirited and unforgettable. I was in middle school when she passed away, and I'm grateful to have memories of her.

Looking at this photo (which captures four generations of women in my family) makes me think about legacy in a very personal way. Not just what we leave behind financially, but the sense of stability, love, and care we hope to pass on to future generations.

One of the most meaningful parts of my work is helping families create security, reduce uncertainty, and thoughtfully plan for the people who will carry their stories forward.

07/21/2026

Sometimes the biggest estate planning mistakes are hiding in the chain of title.

Recently, I met with a client who wanted to update her estate plan. As part of my review, I traced the chain of title on her home and discovered something she didn't realize: she only owned half of her home.

Decades earlier, she and her mother had purchased the home as joint tenants so that, when one of them passed away, the other would automatically inherit the property without probate.

But later, the client created a living trust and signed a deed transferring her one-half interest into her trust. She thought the transfer only affected her one-half interest in the property. She did not realize that the transfer would sever the joint tenancy, convert the ownership to a tenancy in common, and eliminate her right of survivorship in her mother's one-half interest.

When her mother later passed away, her mother's one-half interest did not automatically pass to my client as they had intended. Instead, it became part of her mother's estate and now must go through probate.

The client was understandably surprised. She had no idea that signing the deed would have that consequence. It's a reminder that before transferring real property into a trust—or making any change to title—it's important to understand exactly how the transfer will affect your ownership rights and whether it supports your overall estate planning goals.

It also highlights another important lesson: every property owner should have an estate plan. Had the client's mother had one, there may have been other options to accomplish the family's goals.

07/15/2026

Our New Website Is Here!🎉

After what feels like countless hours of writing, rewriting, editing, and asking myself, "Does this actually sound like me?" I'm excited to share our new website:

www.adell-law.com

When I started my practice more than 20 years ago, I wanted to build a law firm where clients felt heard, understood, and supported—and where I could guide families through some of life's most important, and often most emotional, legal matters with compassion, experience, and integrity. That hasn't changed.

As I worked on this website, it was important to me that it reflect those same values. I wanted it to be more than a list of services. I wanted it to help people understand the process, know what to expect, and get a sense of who I am, how I practice, and what clients can expect when they work with me.

Whether you have worked with me before or are just getting to know our firm, I hope you'll find our new website informative, helpful, and welcoming.

07/14/2026

A living trust can be a powerful estate planning tool—but only if it’s actually funded.

Too often, people go through the time and expense of creating a trust, sign the documents, and assume the job is done. But if assets like real estate, bank accounts, and investment accounts are never retitled into the trust, those assets may still end up going through probate—the very thing the trust was meant to avoid.

Funding a trust isn’t complicated, but it does require follow-through—changing titles, updating beneficiary designations where appropriate, and making sure assets are held in a manner that is properly aligned with the plan.

I guide my clients through that process so their trusts are not just signed, but fully funded and working the way they were intended.

07/07/2026

"I'm just going to add my oldest daughter to the house. I know she'll split everything with her brothers."

I can't tell you how many times I've heard some version of this.

Parents usually aren't trying to favor one child over another. More often, they're trying to save money, avoid probate, and make sure the child they trust the most is the one handling everything. They assume that child will simply divide whatever is left equally among their brothers and sisters.

It seems like the easiest solution. Unfortunately, it rarely is.

When you add a child to the title of your home or to a bank account, you are doing much more than giving them the ability to "handle things when you're gone." You are giving them a legal ownership interest in that asset. That can have consequences you never intended. If your child gets divorced, has creditor problems, or passes away before you, your assets may be affected. You may even lose some control over your own property during your lifetime because you've made someone else a joint owner. And after you're gone, that asset may legally belong to the child whose name is on it—not necessarily to all of your children.

I've seen families torn apart because of this. Sometimes the child keeps the asset. Sometimes they fully intend to share it but can't because of legal or financial complications. Other times, siblings end up fighting because they have very different views about what Mom or Dad intended.

Adding a child to title is rarely a good estate planning strategy.

A well-designed estate plan will avoid probate, keep you in control of your assets during your lifetime, and make your wishes clear—without creating unnecessary conflict among the people you love most.

If you've been thinking about "just adding one of the kids," have a conversation with an experienced estate planning attorney first. A decision that seems simple today can create consequences you never expected tomorrow.

07/04/2026

Happy 4th of July! 🎆

Wishing you a day filled with good fun, great company, delicious food 🍔🌭, and a little time to slow down and be present with the people you love ❤️✨

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