COVID-19: Is There Some Good to Come Out of This?

We’ve lived through some tough times. Many of us remember the way the Vietnam War, and Watergate tore our country apart. The 2008 recession eliminated many small businesses, and it took a few years for the rest of us to get back on our feet and begin to prosper. And now we find ourselves completely kneecapped by COVID-19. Within just weeks, our lives have radically changed, and we face another long month of sheltering in place. But we find ourselves asking if there is some good to come out of this.

A global phenomenon, we have no idea when this will end

COVID-19 is a virus, and scientists tell us that it’s mutating, which will make it more difficult to develop a treatment or vaccine. Yet we’re tired of being cooped up. We want haircuts and spa days. We’re annoyed that we have to cancel our vacation plans. How selfish we are. The burden of this will fall disproportionately and tragically on the old, the weak and the poor in ways that are too awful to contemplate.

But take heart; some good things may come from this pandemic

1. Innovation: That fundamentally American ethic

Business owners who want to remain successful have had to be nimble. I know one small business owner who closed one office, furloughed part of his team and began offering his services virtually. All within one week. He is now planning to expand what is now his new, leaner business model.

2. There can be no doubt that we are part of a global community

Oblivious to borders, there’s no passport control for this guy. The only way of stopping the virus’ spread would be to shut borders completely. No coming in or going out. Cooperation among nations is essential to combating the epidemic. Sharing knowledge and tools is critical because this airborne disease roams the globe.

3. Getting to know your family and your neighborhood

As we’re all locked up in our local quarantines, we might get better acquainted with our neighbors and our families. We might be more present to the people around us, the people we love. Families with extra time together may go back to enjoying just being together, doing simple things—card games and board games, playing catch, cooking, going for walks or bike rides.

4. It may make future epidemics less likely

If we’re smart, we can take the lessons from this pandemic and learn from them. Public health needs to become a specialty, and our public officials need to be paying attention to the first signs of trouble and begin preparing. We lost precious time and we’re paying the price in lost lives and a plummeting economy. Much has been learned about the containment and mitigation of infectious disease. Vaccines against future viral challenges are likely to be developed faster as a result.

5. The miracles of modern medicine have let us down

No popping a pill for this one. There is no cure. This is going to be harder than what we’re used to, and it’s going to be around for a while. COVID promises to change the way we travel, work and recreate. Recognizing our own vulnerability might slap us around and make us humbler.

6. Our environment may benefit

• India’s 1.3 billion people have created one the world’s worst smog problems. The Himalayan mountain range is now isvisible from a distance for the first time in years. People now can see the stars. All of this proves that better air quality can be achieved.
• China’s emissions have been reduced by 25%; coal use cut by 40% and good air quality days are up by 11%.
• Without traffic and air travel, greenhouse gas emissions have fallen dramatically. Pollution in New York has reduced by nearly 50% because of measures to contain the virus.

A global pandemic claiming people’s lives shouldn’t be seen as a way of bringing about environmental and social change, but we may be able to take some of these bitter lessons and apply them to other parts of our lives. At the very least, we can hope that our government officials are learning that we need our allies, our global relationships. We are, indeed, in this together.

During this health crisis, many are feeling an urgency to create a Living Trust 

Our Trust package includes a Will, Power of Attorney, an Advance Healthcare Directive and Incapacity Planning. We guide you through the process and prepare the legal documents. At California Document Preparers, we charge one flat fee for most of our services. We’re helpful, compassionate and affordable. Schedule an appointment today at one of our three Bay Area offices in Dublin, Walnut Creek or Oakland.

Note that our offices are open and we’ve instituted stringent sanitation procedures. We can also provide our services virtually.

We service the entire East Bay and North Bay areas

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy, Hayward and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.

Be Alert, Be Wary: COVID-19 Brings Out the Scammers

As millions of American families mourn and others suffer with the coronavirus and its aftereffects, fraudsters are rolling up their sleeves and polishing their skills to take advantage of the most vulnerable among us.

These people are wily—they follow the headlines and adapt their messaging

They model their scams to fit the latest developments. Testing? Not a problem. Here are fake testing sites, in-demand products and bogus cures. By April 23, the FTC had received more than 25,400 consumer complaints related to the outbreak, including nearly 14,000 fraud complaints. Tragically, victims have reported losing nearly $20M; the median loss was $556.

Be on the lookout for other scams

It’s important to understand the fundamentals: There is currently no vaccine for COVID-19. There are no drugs that have been proven safe to treat the disease. None exists. That includes hydroxychloroquine that Donald Trump has been pitching. The medical community does not endorse this drug as a COVID-19 treatment. It can have serious health consequences.

• Teas, essential oils, cannabinol, colloidol silver and intravenous vitamin-C therapies are treatments being touted online and on TV as defenses against the pandemic—none of these is a legitimate treatment for the virus.
• Other scammers claiming to be selling or offering in-demand supplies such as surgical masks, test kits and household cleaners, often in robocalls, texts or social media ads. The FTC has issued warnings to companies suspected of abetting coronavirus robocalls.
• IRS scams. With most Americans set to receive stimulus checks under the CARES Act, the IRS warns of a wave of schemes promising to escalate payments. Beware calls or emails from supposed government agencies using the term “stimulus” asking you to sign over a check or provide personal information like your Social Security number. These are bogus. The government will not be contacting you; rather, they will be mailing you a check or doing a direct deposit into your checking account.
• Be alert to calls from so-called banks and lenders offering help with credit card debt. Fraudsters are targeting small businesses with promises of quick capital or debt forgiveness.
• The stock market. The SEC is warning investors about scammers touting investments in companies with products that prevent, detect or cure COVID-19. They entice people with the promise that those stocks will soar in price. Remember—there is no product that can cure or prevent this disease. Rather, this is a moving target that mutates.

Phishing scams: Planting malware as a way to download passwords and other information

• The Justice Department hasshut down hundreds of phony websites. These sites will incorporate “coronavirus” or “covid19” in their domain names and promise vaccines and other aid, often claiming to represent the government or an aid organization.
• The trap is triggered when you contact those malicious domains. You start getting phishing emails from scammers in an attempt either to plant malware on your computer or to get your personal information. Google reported in mid-April that its Gmail platform was blocking a whopping 18 million such messages/day.
• These emails appear to be from real businesses or government agencies. Once you click on a link or download an attached file, you import a program that uses your internet connection to spread more malware, or digs into your personal files looking for passwords and other information for purposes of identity theft.

The bottom line: Be cautious when looking for COVID info

Remember that developing a vaccine for a disease is going to take much longer than we would like. Legitimate coronavirus information will come from the CDC or the WHO. Over the next few weeks especially, be extremely wary of fundraising calls, of anyone asking for your personal information or offering you a great deal. Be cautious about opening emails from sources you don’t recognize and clicking on suspicious links. If in doubt, delete.

During this health crisis, many are feeling an urgency to create a Living Trust 

Our Trust package includes a Will, Power of Attorney, an Advance Healthcare Directive and Incapacity Planning. We guide you through the process and prepare the legal documents. At California Document Preparers, for most of our services, we charge one flat fee. We’re helpful, compassionate and affordable. Schedule an appointment today at one of our three Bay Area offices in Dublin, Walnut Creek or Oakland. 

Note that our offices are open and we’ve instituted stringent sanitation procedures. We can also provide our services virtually.

We service the entire East Bay and North Bay areas

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.

Single, No Kids, No Sibs. Who Gets Their Assets?

Shelly and Doris were retired flight attendants who lived in Lafayette. They’d never met during their careers, but now that they were retired, they’d become great friends and loved to laugh and share stories over a glass of wine.

When Shelly went into the hospital for routine surgery and died from complications, it left Doris shocked and lost without her best friend. Shelly was only 64, and she’d left a handwritten Will but no Living Trust. Shelly had lost her sister and brother-in-law in a terrible skiing accident 15 years ago, but she was very close to their four children, especially her niece, Karen, and she’d named Karen the Executor in her Will. But without a Trust, the family would have to go through Probate.

Doris was shocked to learn that Shelley had more than $320,000 in a Fidelity account

Over the years, Shelly had made smart investments in Apple, Wells Fargo and Microsoft. The Fidelity account had no named beneficiaries, so it would have to go through Probate. As Executor, Karen would oversee the estate’s distribution among her designated family members.

Karen was a teacher who knew nothing about Probate, so she contacted a Probate attorney to help manage her aunt’s estate. After 18 months, when the court finally awarded the money to the family, the attorney charged nearly $10K for managing the Probate.

After this experience, Doris felt some urgency to create estate planning documents

Doris didn’t have kids or siblings. She had Social Security and a great pension, but she didn’t have family or close friends she could ask for help if she became incapacitated. Shelly’s niece Karen and her husband Kevin had moved in to Shelly’s condominium, and they’d become close, so she asked Karen for advice. Karen said she would be glad to be there for Doris, and Kevin agreed to be her backup.

Doris created a Living Trust with California Document Preparers

Doris came in to the Walnut Creek office to create her Living Trust. As part of her Living Trust package, she also created a Financial Power of Attorney, an Advance Healthcare Directive and a Will. Notary is included in the fee. Doris is leaving Karen and Kevin 20% of her estate; the balance will go to the church she has been attending for more than 20 years, Lafayette’s St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church.

During this health crisis, many are feeling an urgency to create Living Trusts 

Our Trust package includes a Will, Power of Attorney and an Advance Healthcare Directive and Incapacity Planning. We guide you through the process and prepare the legal documents. At California Document Preparers, for most of our services, we charge one flat fee. We’re helpful, compassionate and affordable. Schedule an appointment today at one of our three Bay Area offices in Dublin, Walnut Creek or Oakland. 

We service the entire East Bay and North Bay areas

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy, Hayward and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.

Carl and Mary: A Blended Family Creates Separate Living Trusts

With the coronavirus has come a new urgency to create estate planning documents. Those who are scheduling appointments don’t fit a stereotype. There are seniors, of course, but also those thinking about retirement, single adults and young families who want to provide a safety net for their children.

Many of the couples we see are blended families. For these couples, estate planning gets a little more complicated. By the time people get to their second or third marriages, there are several homes and other assets, two sets of children and grandchildren. Each partner wants to make sure their respective families receive their share of the estates.

Carl and Mary: A blended family who met over an afternoon of bridge

Carl and Mary are a good example of one of these blended families. They’re both in their 70s and met over a Rossmoor bridge table. They’ve been married for five years and continue to live at Carl’s Rossmoor home in Walnut Creek. Both of their spouses died. Carl has two adult sons and Mary has two adult daughters, and there are assorted grandchildren.

Carl and Mary are financially comfortable, healthy and thoroughly enjoying retirement

Carl and Mary are part of a generation that worked for one company for their entire careers and were rewarded with healthy pensions. Mary was an RN and Carl worked for Diablo Community College. Both also inherited their deceased spouse’s pensions. Mary owned a home in Hayward that she rented out and both received social security. Carl sold his Pleasant Hill home and downsized when he moved into Rossmoor.

They saw no reason to commingle their estates

Carl and Mary really didn’t see anything to be gained from commingling their estates. Each was comfortable financially, and both Carl and Mary wanted to leave their children their estates. California Document Preparers worked with Mary and Carl to identify a solution: Each would create a separate Living Trust for his/her own estate.

• Carl’s Rossmoor home, in which they lived, would go into his Trust.
• Mary’s Hayward home, that she rented out, would go into her Trust.
• Carl and Mary would be each other’s Power of Attorney, with their sons and daughters as respective backups.

The couple’s adult children were relieved that their parents had finally completed their Trust. They’d been putting this off, but the coronavirus health crisis brought it back into focus.

During this health crisis, many are feeling an urgency to create a Living Trust 

Our Trust package includes a Will, Power of Attorney and an Advance Healthcare Directive and Incapacity Planning. We guide you through the process and prepare the legal documents. At California Document Preparers, for most of our services, we charge one flat fee. We’re helpful, compassionate and affordable. Schedule an appointment today at one of our three Bay Area offices in Dublin, Walnut Creek or Oakland. 

We service the entire East Bay and North Bay areas

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley, Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy, Hayward and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.

Young Family Exposed to COVID-19 Creates a Living Trust

The life-threatening coronavirus has completely upended our lives. Families with small children or elderly family members are feeling especially vulnerable. The result is more people feeling the need to create Living Trusts.

We recently created a Living Trust for “Jim” and “Monica”. They’re in their late 30s with two kids—“Ben” is four, and “Sophie” is six. Jim and Monica are typical of many of the young couples we see in our offices. They have good jobs and own their own home in Oakland. They also own a monster of a mortgage and assorted other debt.

Jim’s brother’s testing positive for the coronavirus was a wakeup call

Jim’s brother, Todd, was at their home on a Saturday afternoon. The next day, he began experiencing flu-like symptoms. His wife finally took him to the doctor on Wednesday, and he tested positive for the coronavirus. He was self-quarantining and monitoring his symptoms with his doctor. Todd’s being sick with the coronavirus was a huge wakeup call for Jim and Monica.

Creating a Living Trust became a priority

Besides getting their entire family tested for the virus, Jim and Monica made an appointment to create a Living Trust. They want to make sure that if anything happens to them, Ben and Sophie will be taken care of.

Our Living Trust package includes a Will, in which you can appoint a Guardian

In the Will, Jim and Monica can appoint a Guardian for Ben and Sophie. How this works: If both you and your spouse should die, your children will need a Guardian. If you do not leave instructions in the form of a Will, the court will not have any guidance from you, the parents of the children. In this case, the court chooses the Guardian. While it is painful to think of leaving your children, it can be reassuring to know that in the case of this unlikely eventuality, they will be properly cared for by someone you love and trust.

Jim and Monica decided to name Todd the Trust’s Successor Trustee

A San Francisco banker, Todd is the most logical person to be the Successor Trustee, responsible for managing the estate for Ben and Sophie. When they turn 25, each of them will inherit their share of the estate. Monica’s parents, Randy and Paula, will be the children’s Guardians. They have always been especially close to Ben and Sophie, and they live in Pleasant Hill, a community known for its good schools.

Providing peace of mind about your children’s future

It’s reassuring to remember that most parents of young children live long enough to see their kids safely to adulthood. But sometimes the unexpected happens. Having a Will or Living Trust in place now can provide peace of mind about your children’s future.

During this health crisis, many are feeling an urgency to create a Living Trust 

Our Trust package includes a Will, Power of Attorney, an Advance Healthcare Directive and Incapacity Planning. We guide you through the process and prepare the legal documents. At California Document Preparers, for most of our services, we charge one flat fee. We’re helpful, compassionate and affordable. Schedule an appointment today at one of our three Bay Area offices in Dublin, Walnut Creek or Oakland. 

Note that our offices are open and we’ve instituted stringent sanitation procedures. We can also provide our services virtually. 

We service the entire East Bay and North Bay areas

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.

We’re Open! Work Virtually or Schedule an Office Appointment

We want all of our clients to know that we remain open throughout this period

Our offices are open and we’ve instituted stringent sanitation procedures that include masks and gloves. We’re also permitting just one set of clients in our offices at a time and following the six-foot distancing guidelines.

We’re also working virtually–what does that mean for you?

Virtual means that you can stay safely at home, sheltering in place. Stay in your pajamas and pour another cup of coffee. We can work through the details of your Living Trust, Divorce, Deed or other service over the phone or using Zoom, free online collaboration software.

Online collaboration with Zoom

Zoom has become our collaboration tool of choice. Its user-friendly interface and clear audio and video make virtual collaboration easy. Even those unfamiliar with collaboration tools find this productive and a great enhancement for our virtual sessions. For other clients, we just use our telephones and the website. In a recent case, we completed the intake process for a Living Trust over the course of a phone call. It was seamless.

Working virtually was a change for CDP because of our high level of customer service

Meeting and greeting our clients and making them feel welcome have always been important parts of our culture. Yet we introduced our new virtual process in a matter of days. Our clients are surprised at how easy it is. One longtime client who felt some urgency to update their Living Trust told us, “We dialed in to Zoom for our call, and Ian walked us through the intake questions that are part of the information-gathering phase. It was so easy! CDP will prepare the legal documents and contact us when it’s time to sign and notarize them.”

Make no mistake, these are stressful times

Even as we reach out to find new ways to accommodate our clients, we know that many are worried about their loved ones. Perhaps they’ve tested positive or know someone who has. We’re all worried about the economics of this pandemic, and we want our lives back. We want a return to normal, though that may not be so easy. There well may be facing profound changes as a result of this ordeal.

We’re all feeling the effects of sheltering in place

Cabin fever gives way to panic buying. We obsess about running out of products—it’s been weeks now, and it’s impossible to find cleaning products like ammonia or bleach. Toilet paper remains the season’s hot ticket. Our cloistered spring leaves all of us anxious on many levels.

Let’s not forget the heroes of this ordeal

But my friend Susan is one of the COVID heroes. She’s an emergency room nurse who goes to work each day ready to face another day of utter chaos. She comes home from her long, punishing shifts exhausted. Her face is bruised from the protective mask and shield she hopes will keep her safe. She fights to keep her patients alive, but often it’s not enough. As their patient load increases, her team struggles to find equipment and supplies.

This is the health crisis of our lifetimes. Be careful. Be safe. Take care of those you love.

During this difficult time, many are feeling an urgency to create a Living Trust 

Our Trust package includes a Will, Power of Attorney and an Advance Healthcare Directive and Incapacity Planning. We guide you through the process and prepare the legal documents. At California Document Preparers, for most of our services, we charge one flat fee. We’re helpful, compassionate and affordable. Schedule an appointment today at one of our three Bay Area offices in Dublin, Walnut Creek or Oakland. 

We service the entire East Bay and North Bay areas

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.

Estate Planning Includes Planning for Incapacity

We’re all uneasy as we face the biggest health challenge of our lifetimes. Despite stringent safety precautions, this remains a highly contagious disease, and we’re all feeling vulnerable. Many people are feeling the urgency to create estate planning documents.

But estate planning isn’t only about what happens after a loved one’s death

Estate planning includes making plans for incapacity—when loved ones are no longer able to care for themselves.

For my own folks, incapacity necessitated an intervention after my stepfather suffered a minor stroke while driving. He veered off the road and plowed into a police car. The good news is that we finally were able to take his keys away and get him off the road.

My brother stepped in as his Power of Attorney

As the Financial Power of Attorney for my folks, my brother was able to manage their finances. I think my stepfather was happy to be relieved of this burden, and my mother was no longer able to deal with anything substantive. Fortunately, they both still had testamentary capacity and were able to sign the necessary legal documents. My brother also became the Agent for their Advance Healthcare Directives. He now had authority to carry out their final healthcare decisions.

Mental Incapacity can be caused by an accident, injury or illness

Mental incapacity results in someone’s being incapable of making informed decisions about their finances and wellbeing.

• Without a comprehensive incapacity plan in place, a judge can appoint someone to take control of an incapacitated person’s assets and make all personal and medical decisions on that person’s behalf under a court-supervised guardianship or conservatorship.
• The incapacitated person and his or her loved ones can lose valuable time, money, and control until the incapacitated person either regains capacity or dies.

Holding assets in joint accounts with another family member is a poor solution

Many believe they’re protected if they hold their assets in joint names with another family member. While a joint account holder may be able to pay bills, for instance, a joint owner of real estate will not be able to sell property without the consent of the other owner.

If that owner is legally incapacitated, the owner will not have clear title to the property and will not be able to sell it. Only a comprehensive incapacity plan will protect you and your assets from a court-supervised guardianship or conservatorship.

During this health crisis, many are feeling an urgency to create a Living Trust 

Our Trust package includes a Will, Power of Attorney and an Advance Healthcare Directive. We guide you through the process and prepare the legal documents. At California Document Preparers, for most of our services, we charge one flat fee. We’re helpful, compassionate and affordable. Schedule an appointment today at one of our three Bay Area offices in Dublin, Walnut Creek or Oakland. 

We service the entire East Bay and North Bay areas

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.