The Law Office of Erika A. Williams, a Professional Corporation regularly provides legal updates, thought pieces, and tips in the practice areas of family law, education law, and estate planning.
The Law Office of Erika A. Williams, a Professional Corporation regularly provides legal updates, thought pieces, and tips in the practice areas of family law, education law, and estate planning.
11th May 2023
In California, parental alienation is recognized as a form of emotional abuse. It is not only detrimental to the child's well-being, but it can also have legal consequences for the alienating parent. Those consequences can come about not just in the family law case, but also in a juvenile dependency case and, in extreme cases, in a criminal case for the alienating parent.
3rd May 2023
People may procrastinate because they fear an unpleasant outcome, struggle with perfectionism, or feel overwhelmed. Occasional procrastination, like occasional anxiety, is normal. But when procrastination starts to negatively impact your life, causing you to put off important tasks, it may be time to take corrective action.
Contemplating death and disability does not have to be a morbid, anxiety-producing exercise. It can be a productive exercise in which unpleasant thoughts are channeled into meaningful actions.
17th December 2021
When it comes to protecting your unmarried partner, there are several options to consider. Depending on the value of your money and property, your desired level of protection from your partner’s creditors, and other factors unique to your situation, one or more of these strategies may be beneficial. A word of caution: regardless of what methods you use, you must work with an experienced estate planning attorney. While do-it-yourself options may be cheaper, they can sometimes create more problems than they solve, and the problems can be expensive to remedy.
9th December 2021
More people such as yourself are entering long-term committed relationships without getting married. Unfortunately, many state and federal laws do not protect unmarried couples as they do married couples when it comes to inheritance, taxes, and decision-making powers. Therefore, it is important that you engage in comprehensive financial and estate planning, because without proper planning, your beloved partner could end up with nothing should you pass away.
18th November 2021
For some people, choosing trusted decision makers is easy; for others, it may be more difficult due to tense family circumstances, geography, or the lack of living family members. While most advisors and attorneys counsel clients to choose family members or close friends, this may not always be an option. But have no fear. You can consider hiring someone if you do not have a family member or close friend to appoint to one of these important positions.
11th November 2021
For singles, having an estate plan is important to ensure that your wishes are carried out during your life and after your death. If such worries are preventing you from completing your estate plan, we are here to help you.
4th November 2021
Once an individual turns 18 years old, he or she is no longer a minor. This means that the hospitals and doctor’s offices must safeguard the patient’s information from everyone, including the parents. While it makes sense that a legal adult would be the one in charge of his or her own medical information, this can pose some problems for young adults.
28th October 2021
When you were a minor (under the age of 18), your parents were considered your legal guardians and were responsible for making all of your decisions for you. Now that you are an adult, their legal authority is very limited if not completely gone. Although this new found freedom may sound exciting, there are a few things you need to consider.
21st October 2021
Since your family’s needs and circumstances are constantly changing, so too must your estate plan. Your plan must be updated when certain life changes occur. These include, but are not limited to: marriage, the birth or adoption of a new family member, divorce, the death of a loved one, a significant change in assets, and a move to a new state or country.
14th October 2021
We collect stuff throughout our lives. This “stuff” is known as our personal property. Some items are valuable, like jewelry, baseball cards, and works of art. Other items are sentimental, like grandma’s tea set, old Christmas ornaments, and photographs. Regardless of the value, it is important that these items be distributed the way you want when you die. Consider the following to ensure that your wishes for your personal property are honored.
26th August 2021
No one will ever be you or parent exactly like you, but more than likely, there is someone you know that could do a decent job providing for your children’s general welfare, education, and medical needs if you are no longer available to do so. Parents with minor children need to name someone to raise them (a guardian) in the event both parents should die before the child becomes an adult. While the likelihood of that actually happening is slim, the consequences of not naming a guardian are more than intense.
19th August 2021
Protecting your family is important, especially when you have minor children, and even more so now that we are living through a pandemic. With all of the unknowns of our current situation, you need some certainty. Having an up-to-date estate plan can be the first step toward providing that certainty in an uncertain world.
12th August 2021
Comprehensive estate planning is more than your legacy after death, avoiding probate, and saving on taxes. Good estate planning includes a plan in place to manage your affairs if you become incapacitated during your life and can no longer make decisions for yourself.
5th August 2021
There has been a lot of interest in conservatorship (some states refer to them as guardianships) since watching the 2020 film I Care A Lot, currently distributed on Netflix, during the safer at home orders. What's more, many people are getting their first look at what can happen without a proper incapacity plan in place during this movement to #FreeBritney. Both serve as a sort of cautionary tale about what could happen without a proper incapacity plan in place.
29th July 2021
As poet Robert Burns mused centuries ago, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Despite thoughtful effort and a concerted strategy, you cannot prepare for every emergency. A car accident, sudden illness, workplace injury or chronic medical condition can force you to re-evaluate the core assumptions you used to plan your future and set up your legacy.
22nd July 2021
Real estate encompasses not only one’s primary residence but also other real estate such as a vacation home or a rental property. The ideal form of ownership varies depending on the type of real estate you own. Below, we take a look at the different types of real estate and offer advice about the best form of ownership for each.
15th July 2021
Estate planning—it is an incredibly important tool, not just for the uber-wealthy or those thinking about retirement. On the contrary, estate planning is something every adult should do. Estate planning can help you accomplish any number of goals, including appointing guardians for minor children, choosing healthcare agents to make decisions for you should you become ill, minimizing taxes so you can pass more wealth onto your family members, and stating how and to whom you would like to pass your estate on to when you pass away.
12th July 2021
Even for those of modest means, who gets your hard-earned savings when you die is an important consideration. Without any planning, state law will decide who gets what—and many times, what the government’s best guess as to what you would want is contrary to what you actually want. But, because you did not take the opportunity to formalize your wishes in an estate plan, the state has to step in and do it for you.
22nd October 2020
In the United States, October is the National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As part of our own mission to help families in crisis, the Law Office of Erika A. Williams is publishing this 4-part series on domestic violence to shed light on all forms of domestic violence; the ways that it shows up in families' lives; and, what you can do to keep yourself, your family, and your loved ones safe.
In the last post, we talked about the incidence of domestic violence in the United States. For this second part of the series, I really wanted to give you some of the laws covering domestic violence. Any case that is filed related to domestic violence must, first, be rooted in the law. The law defines what domestic violence is and what both the punishment is for the perpetrator and the remedy is for the victim.
In California, domestic violence is described in both the penal code and the family code. The penal code provides criminal penalties for the conduct described; while the family code provides for civil penalties and relief.
18th October 2020
In the United States, October is the National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As part of our own mission to help families in crisis, the Law Office of Erika A. Williams is publishing this 4-part series on domestic violence to shed light on all forms of domestic violence; the ways that it shows up in families' lives; and, what you can do to keep yourself, your family, and your loved ones safe.
2020 has been a year of a lot of trauma and crises for a great many people and families. While trying to remain safer at home, many individuals found themselves in even greater danger. Behind closed doors was an even bigger monster than the one outside and just as deadly. Many people have found themselves suffering from domestic violence.
The thing about it is, there are a lot of misconceptions about domestic violence. You would think that with a problem that affects over 10 million men, women, and children each year, there would be a better term for it. Sadly, though, there isn’t.
20th September 2020
Let’s face it, whether it’s choice or circumstance, everyone who has a child is not always ready to be a parent. These situations will often arise because the parent is very young themselves. In other situations, the parent is serving in the military or has a job that has taken them far away from a support system. An altogether different scenario is because the parent is struggling with substance use issues or criminality.
Whatever the case may be, well-meaning grandparents and extended family members want to ensure the safety and well-being of their minor loved ones.
13th September 2020
As a parent, there are many times that you may become frustrated with your child. Most times, that frustration will come when you’ve asked them to do something and they simply don’t do it. It could be the easiest thing in the world, like putting your dirty clothes in the laundry basket when you take them off. But what do you do when it’s as basic as taking a shower?
Disclaimer:
The Law Office of Erika A. Williams, a Professional Corporation is a law firm that represents clients throughout California. The information on this website is for general information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. Legal websites like this one are a form of attorney advertising. Viewing this website does not create an attorney-client relationship. Erika Williams is licensed to practice law in California, maintains an office in Los Angeles, and practices law only in California courts, and does not seek to represent anyone based solely on a visit to this website.
Reviews, including testimonials or endorsements listed on this website, do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your particular legal matter.
The Law Office of Erika A. Williams, a Professional Corporation is a law firm that represents clients throughout California. The information on this website is for general information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. Legal websites like this one are a form of attorney advertising. Viewing this website does not create an attorney-client relationship. Erika Williams is licensed to practice law in California, maintains an office in Los Angeles, and practices law only in California courts, and does not seek to represent anyone based solely on a visit to this website.
Reviews, including testimonials or endorsements listed on this website, do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your particular legal matter.