San Diego Estate Planning Lawyer Blog

In Los Angeles, there are many modeling agencies including Wilhemina Models, Affinity Models & Talent and many others. Our law firm of Pinkerton, Doppelt & Associates, LLP does not endorse or support any of these and they are listed for illustration purposes only. None of the agencies listed were involved as a party in the example law suit listed below. Our firm practices in estate planning and family law. Please feel free to contact us for a complimentary consultation by e mail or phone.

A two-hour photo shoot paying $250 has turned into a jury verdict of over $15 million for the model, but it took almost 20 years and some good luck for it to happen. Russell had his photo taken for use on labels by a major coffee maker. He did not think much more about it until many years later, when he saw the photo of himself savoring a cup of coffee.

According to the modeling agreement, which Russell had kept in his records, he was supposed to be paid additional sums if the photo was actually used in marketing. The company had never paid more money to Russell, even though his photo had ended up on countless jars of coffee around the world for a six-year period. Nor did the company get his permission for the use of his image.

The jury award was based not just on the company's obligations under the agreement, but also on a percentage of the profits derived from the use of the image. Russell was able to show that his face, appearing as it did in all kinds of advertising, not just the jars of coffee, helped to sell a lot of coffee. As a result, the company's misappropriation of his image carried a very big price tag.

In Encinitas, many residents have as their greatest asset their house. Our law firm of Pinkerton, Doppelt & Associates, LLP urges you to have a revocable living trust and/or other estate plan to avoid probate fees and costs upon death. It is crucial to have title insurance since, if the land did not have clear title or had liens or other encumbrances, the value of your most treasured asset may not be what you think. In San Diego there are many title companies including Ticor Title Insurance, California Title Company and others. Our firm does not endorse or recommend any of these and they are used for illustrative purposes only. If you have a question about your estate plan or title insurance coverage issues, please e mail or call our office for a complimentary consultation.

When someone buys a home, in addition to the land, bricks, and wood, the buyer receives the legal title to the property. If the title is defective, it could interfere with enjoyment of the property and result in financial loss. When title insurance is purchased by a property owner, the insurer guarantees that the owner has clear title to the property, free of claims or encumbrances.

Title insurance begins with a search of land records tracing the property's "chain of title" back in time through previous owners. A title search should reveal any legal documents that do not clearly pass title, such as where incorrect names or notary acknowledgments appear, as well as outstanding mortgages, judgments, or tax liens. Even a thorough search by an experienced title examiner cannot be absolutely certain to detect every problem, however. Title insurance protects against the unseen hazards that may not surface until long after property is purchased. Some of the risks against which title insurance gives protection include: a forged deed that transfers no title to the property; previously undisclosed heirs with claims against the property; and a legal document executed under an invalid or expired power of attorney.

A title insurance policy protects the insured party, such as the home buyer or the buyer's mortgage lender, against losses suffered if the title is found to be defective, even after a search of land records suggests no problems. Lenders' title insurance decreases and eventually is discontinued as the loan is paid off. Owners' title insurance, issued in the amount of the purchase price, lasts as long as the insured has an interest in the property.

As with any other insurance policy, the fine print in a title insurance policy must be examined with care. Typically, there are exclusions or exceptions from coverage. For example, the effects of governmental laws, ordinances, and regulations are generally excluded. You also should be aware of two other common policy provisions. The first is a standard arbitration clause, requiring binding arbitration to resolve any dispute under a specified dollar limit. The second provision, a "co-insurance" clause, states that the owner must obtain increased coverage if the insured property is improved in order to furnish the same level of protection.

Title insurance protection takes various forms. The insurer will negotiate with third parties about their claims against the insured property, pay for defending against an attack on the title, and pay claims if necessary. Title insurance also helps to make sure that a dream home will not become a legal nightmare for the home buyer.

In San Diego, there are many families which have a need for a family limited partnership. It is important to use a law firm which is experienced in these partnerships. Our firm of Pinkerton, Doppelt & Associates, LLP will be pleased to offer a complimentary and confidential consultation and please feel free to e mail or call us.

A family limited partnership (FLP), like other limited partnerships, is a form of business consisting of one general partner and one or more limited partners. In an FLP, however, the individuals involved usually are members of different generations of the same family. One of the advantages of a well-executed FLP is a reduction in federal estate and gift taxes. Instead of transferring assets directly to beneficiaries, an individual may transfer interests in a limited partnership. Since interest in an FLP is not marketable and since a limited partner does not control management of the enterprise, the value of interests in an FLP usually can be discounted by anywhere from 25% to 50%, with a corresponding reduction in tax liability.

As with many transactions among family members, the IRS has a history of casting a skeptical eye on FLPs. Essentially, the IRS is intent on assuring that the tax advantages of any particular FLP are not the be-all and end-all for its existence. If the FLP is deemed to be a sham, the IRS may challenge the valuation discount and perhaps even the very existence of the partnership.

In one recent case, a federal appeals court found an FLP to be legitimate despite some circumstances that had aroused IRS suspicion. A 96-year-old woman put about $2.5 million into an FLP, keeping $450,000 for her personal expenses. She died two months later. The fact that the transfer included interests requiring active management and that no personal assets, such as a house or car, were involved weighed in favor of the FLP. Also, the person making the transfer into the FLP did not manage the FLP. Perhaps most importantly, oil and gas operations provided an essential legitimate business purpose for the FLP.

In another case that was similar in many respects, including the age of the individual transferring the assets to the FLP, the assets were found to be subject to the estate tax because the FLP had not been formed for a valid business purpose. Transactions made by the FLP never went outside the family circle and amounted to financing the needs of individual family members.

Emerging from the cases are a few rules of thumb for setting up and running an FLP so as to realize its tax benefits without attracting the attention of the IRS:

* Articulate real business reasons for the FLP that can be substantiated by persons outside the FLP;

* Do not let the person transferring assets into the FLP transfer all of his or her assets or use the FLP to pay personal expenses;

* Assign control over the FLP to a general partner who is not the same person who funded the FLP. Often the general partner is an entity, such as a limited liability company;

* Have some "actively" managed assets in the FLP; and

* Follow the formalities for setting up and operating the FLP, including separate accounts and scrupulous adherence to formal accounting practices.

In Del Mar, there are many businesses which offer retirement plans for employees. Some of these retirement plans may be included in a revocable living trust and others are not. Our law firm of Pinkerton, Doppelt & Associates, LLP practices in estate planning and family law. We would be pleased to offer you a complimentary consulation on which plans should [or should not] be included in your estate plan. Please e mail or call our office for a free in-house consultation.

The Internal Revenue Service has information that is designed to help small businesses establish and maintain retirement plans for employees. Sections on setting up contributions, investments, and distributions have information not only from the IRS, but also from the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Social Security Administration.

* Rules for traditional and Roth IRAs, as well as other retirement plans;

* Investing your IRA;

* Publications and forms;

* Retirement calculator;

* Video clips on retirement planning;

* Frequently asked questions;

* Research material on IRAs; and

* Links to more retirement information on government websites.

In San Diego, there are many small business owners. Our firm of Pinkerton, Doppelt & Associates, LLP offers a complimentary consultation and, if we cannot assist you, we will refer you to the San Diego County Bar Association Lawyer Referral and Information Service. Please also feel free to e mail our firm.

As of January 1, 2005, the IRS increased the minimum threshold for Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) deposits. Under the previous rule, employers were required to make a quarterly deposit for unemployment taxes if the accumulated tax exceeded $100. Now the threshold is $500.

The IRS estimates that this change will lighten the load for more than 4 million small businesses. Assuming an employer makes timely state unemployment tax payments, the most that the IRS will collect from employers per employee is $56 per year. Before the threshold was increased, most employers with two or more employees had to make at least one federal tax deposit a year. Now employers with eight employees or fewer will be freed from the requirement of making as many as four FUTA deposits per year.