Protecting Your Children
Your estate plan must safeguard your children, who are counting on you to ensure that they will always be taken care of by the people you want, in a way you want, no matter what happens.
At Sky Unlimited Legal Advisory, we are very passionate about planning for the well-being and care of the children you love. Over the years, we have developed an expertise for advance planning for the care of children in the event of the death of one or both parents. Without this advance legal planning, unthinkable events can (and do) take place:
Ø Your children could be placed into the care of the California Department of Social Services ... even if you have a will in place ... and even if you have a living trust! (Likely this circumstance would be temporary, but you never want your children in the care of strangers - not even for a minute.)
Ø Your children could be put into the custody and care of someone you would never choose, like the one family member who may have good intentions, but you don't want raising your kids!
Ø A judge, who doesn't know you or your family, will decide who will raise your kids, even if it is the last person you would ever want.
Ø A long and nasty custody fight could ensure or there might be a challenge to the guardians you have designated.
Ø Up to 5% of the value of your gross assets could be lost to court costs and other unnecessary fees through the probate process that can tie up your assets for years and deprive your kids of the resources they need.
Ø Unscrupulous people can take advantage of children when they turn 18 and get a check for whatever assets are left.
With advance legal planning, these problems and more can be avoided. A majority of estate planning attorneys do not address these issues. They do not plan from a parent's perspective and they do not have the expertise to do a comprehensive job.
Yes, these occurrences scare us, too! That is why we offer a Kids Protection Plan® with every estate plan we do for families with minor children.
Our Kids Protection Plan® includes a specific set of instructions, legal documents, and an ID card for your wallet. If you are in an accident, your Kids Protection Plan will help to make sure your children are never taken into the custody of Child Protective Services or anyone else you would not want. These clear instructions inform the Police and ensure your children will be raised by people you have selected.
To get started with your Kids Protection Plan®, please call us at (650) 761-0992 today or book a Family Wealth Planning Session® online now.
When it's all for the Kids
Articles from the Chief Counsel's desk. Sign up for our newsletter to receive these in your email with additional discounts, offers and rewards.
The $1.5 Million Estate Planning Mistake You Can't Afford to Make
Picture this: You and your spouse spend decades building a successful business, accumulating assets, and creating a stable life for your family. You think you've done everything right with your estate planning. Then tragedy strikes, and a simple paperwork error costs your children $1.5 million in taxes they never should have owed.
This isn't a hypothetical scenario—it's exactly what happened to the Rowland family in Ohio. In this article, you'll discover the
costly mistake that devastated this family's legacy, why it's becoming an increasingly common problem for wealthy families, and most importantly, how to make sure it never happens to yours.
When "Good Enough" Estate Planning Becomes a Family Nightmare
Billy Rowland was the kind of guy who wore a "World's Greatest Grandpa" cap and spent his life building something meaningful. Over decades, he expanded his small businesses across Ohio—trucking, used cars, real estate, banking. He served on charity boards and seemed to have his financial house in order.
When Billy's wife Fay died in 2016, her estate filed the required tax return to preserve her unused estate tax exclusion for Billy's future use. It seemed like routine paperwork. The return estimated her estate's value and listed various assets—real estate, business shares, the usual suspects.
When Every Dollar Counts: How Labor Day Reminds Us That Life & Legacy Planning Is More Essential Than Ever
Labor Day has always been about honoring the American worker—the people who build our communities, power our economy, and create the foundation of our society. But this year, as we fire up our grills and enjoy that long weekend, there's an elephant in the room that deserves our attention.
For millions of working families, every dollar has become precious in a way it hasn't been for decades. While we celebrate labor, the reality is that the fruits of that labor aren't stretching as far as they used to.
Let’s explore why the current economic squeeze actually makes protecting your hard-earned money more important than ever before.
We'll consider specific data showing how much basic necessities have increased, why this makes estate planning crucial rather than optional, and how Life & Legacy Planning can ensure every dollar you've worked for reaches the people you love—instead of being lost to legal complications and unnecessary fees.
The Numbers Are Staggering
The data tell a stark story that affects people where it hurts most -
the essential costs of daily life.
What Women Need to Know About Estate Planning
Women outlive men, make less during their careers and have less in savings due to pay discrepancies and time taken out of the workforce to raise their families.
These are just a few reasons why it is important for you to know the following about estate planning:
Minor children can be legally protected with a Kids Protection Plan, which provides parents with important legal tools to name short- and long-term guardians, provide instructions and guidelines for those guardians and execute medical powers of attorney that allow you to dictate medical care for your minor children in case they are injured and you are not with them.
A will and a living trust are both essential estate planning tools, and although both can be used to transfer assets upon death, they serve separate purposes. A living trust can take effect while you are alive or after death. It allows you to hold assets for your benefit during your life, which may prove useful if you become incapacitated in the future. A living will can also be beneficial if you own real estate in another state. A will only takes effect upon death, and is used to appoint guardians for minor children, cover assets that are not part of a living trust and create trusts that kick in after death.
Women need to execute financial and healthcare durable powers of attorney and consider choosing a member of the family if that person is willing to assume the responsibility of making financial and/or medical decisions on your behalf in case of incapacity. And, if you are married or partnered, make sure your spouse or partner does the same because you’ll be the one who is handling things if anything happens to your spouse/partner and you want it to be as easy as possible.
The One Big Beautiful Bill: What It Means for Your Family's Financial Future
The massive tax legislation known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill" (“OBBB”) became law on July 4, 2025, brings sweeping changes that will affect nearly every American family. While much of the media attention has focused on the political drama surrounding its passage, what really matters is how these changes impact your family's financial security and estate planning needs.
(See One Big Beautiful Bill
here)
With nearly 900 pages of complex provisions, the new law extends many tax cuts, creates new deductions, and makes significant changes to healthcare and benefit programs. Understanding these
changes isn't just about saving money on your taxes—it's about ensuring your loved ones’ long-term security and making sure your estate plan works when your loved ones need it most.
The Big Changes That Affect Your Daily Life
The new law brings several immediate changes that could impact your family's finances. Many of these provisions are temporary, which creates both opportunities and planning challenges that
require careful attention.
The new law creates several categories of benefits that could significantly impact your family's tax burden:
This Father’s Day Take Your Provision One Step Further
Father's Day arrives each June filled with barbecues, baseball games, and heartfelt cards celebrating the dads who shape our lives. While ties and tool sets make thoughtful gifts, what if we turn the tables altogether and put the family resources toward a far more meaningful gift this Father's Day—one that helps dad feel confident that he’s stepping into his best self, and providing for the family no matter what.
As a father, your number one goal is likely to provide for your family in the best way you possibly can. But have you taken steps to ensure the people you love will be cared for if something
happens to you? And, if you have, are those steps the right steps or are they false security that will leave your family with a mess you wouldn’t wish on anyone?
This Father's Day offers the perfect opportunity to explore how estate planning done the right way becomes the ultimate expression of fatherly love and provision.
THE WEIGHT OF FATHERLY RESPONSIBILITY
Being a father means carrying an invisible weight that never truly lifts from your shoulders. From the moment your first child arrives, you become acutely aware that others depend on you, not just for today's needs but for tomorrow's security. This awareness often intensifies as your children grow and your responsibilities multiply.