by Sanford Okura | Oct 31, 2011 | Articles
NEW LAW: TRANSFER ON DEATH DEED Hawaii has a new law which allows real estate to go to a beneficiary when the owner dies, without having to go to court for probate. This new procedure requires a new kind of deed, called a “Transfer on Death Deed.” Governor...
by Sanford Okura | Jun 22, 2011 | Articles
THE REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST TRAP Here is a Medicaid rule that often surprises those in nursing homes: if your home property is in a Revocable Living Trust, you cannot qualify for Medicaid for nursing home costs until you take your home out of the trust. However,...
by Sanford Okura | May 22, 2011 | Articles, Asset Protection
ASSET PROTECTION FOR YOUR FAMILY Your will or trust probably says that you give your assets to your children when you die. (Whenever I mention “children,” I also mean nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters, or anyone else who will be inheriting...
by Sanford Okura | Apr 29, 2011 | Articles
2011 ESTATE PLANNING UPDATE By Sanford K. Okura Here is a 2011 update on important numbers used in Estate Planning and Medicaid Planning in Hawaii. How much money and property can a person have at death without paying estate taxes? Under a temporary federal...
by Sanford Okura | Mar 18, 2011 | Articles
On February 23, 2011, Governor Abercrombie signed into law Senate Bill 232, which makes civil unions legal in Hawaii, starting January 1, 2012. Although the law says that a civil union is not a marriage, it gives partners in a civil union the same legal rights and...
by Sanford Okura | Dec 21, 2010 | Articles
COMMUNITY PROPERTY If you own property in any of the following states, it is important that you understand the basics about community property: Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. Also Puerto Rico and...
