An October 1993 California Court of Appeal decision
illustrates some key issues to consider when evaluating your insurance. Although
the case involves health insurance, the same issues could arise with any type of
insurance policy.

John Fraker, a building contractor, obtained a group health insurance policy
from Sentry Life Insurance Company in 1978. A sales brochure for the policy
stated that [...]

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When you make a will, you are not obligated to leave property
to anyone. In order to discourage disappointed heirs from disputing your estate
plan, you can include a "no contest" clause that automatically cancels an heir’s
bequest if he or she challenges your will.

Such "no contest" clauses can be broad or narrow, and may even disinherit people
who [...]

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Over the past few years, I have represented a number of
grandparents and others in guardianship proceedings. Usually, the adult parents
of the grandchildren have severe personal problems and cannot care for their
children. A family member steps in to care for the children until a parent is
able to do so.
Legal guardianship is not always necessary in these [...]

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Revocable "living trusts" have become increasingly popular in the past
decade. They allow heirs to avoid expensive, time-consuming probate court
proceedings.
But unlike a will, a living trust cannot be simply signed and filed away. If an
asset is never transferred to the trust, or is unintentionally removed from the
trust, it will be subject to probate.
Over the past [...]

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In July 1995, the California legislature revised portions of the California
Probate Code defining the investment duties of trustees.
Previously, some investment rules were rigid and absolute, preventing trustees
from making the same type of investment decisions that regular investors make
every day. Some types of investments were flatly prohibited, while others were
available only at personal risk to the [...]

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