DeCosimo Law

10/14/2026

Parents often tell me, “I don’t want either of my kids to feel left out, so I’ll just name them both as trustees.”

I understand that completely. It comes from love. But being a trustee is a job, and your children can inherit equally without carrying the same responsibilities. Sometimes the kindest choice is giving each of them a role that fits.

This Estate Planning Awareness Week, I wrote about what to consider before you decide. If you’d like to talk it through, I’m here: https://calendly.com/decosimolaw/15min

– Deanna



https://www.decosimolaw.com/blog/children-as-trustees

Naming both children as co-trustees feels fair, but the role is a job. Learn what to consider before choosing a trustee for your California living trust.

10/08/2026

🥟 Happy National Pierogi Day!

One of the most meaningful gifts I ever received from my grandmother wasn’t jewelry, money, or anything expensive.

It was a handwritten cookbook filled with her recipes, including one for my absolute favorite—pierogis. ❤️

Every time I make them, I’m reminded of my grandmother, our family traditions, and the memories we shared.

That cookbook may not have much monetary value, but to me, it’s priceless. And someday, I hope to pass it down to the next generation.

As an estate planning attorney, I often remind families that your legacy is about so much more than the money and property you leave behind.

It’s also about the family recipes, handwritten notes, photographs, stories, and traditions that connect generations.

Those are often the things our loved ones treasure most.

So today, on National Pierogi Day, I’m celebrating my grandmother and the little piece of her legacy that I get to keep alive. 🥟❤️

What’s something meaningful you’ve inherited from a loved one that has little monetary value but means the world to you? I’d love to hear about it!

MoreThanMoney TemeculaEstatePlanning

10/07/2026

If you couldn't get into your business accounts tomorrow, who could? 🔐

Most business owners carry more than they realize: the payroll login, the bank portal, the domain, the email admin, the two-factor codes that only come to one phone. It works fine, right up until the day you're sick, traveling, or simply unreachable, and the people who depend on you are left guessing.

This isn't about trust. It's about making sure your team can still pay people, reach clients, and respond if something goes wrong, even when you can't be there.

In honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, our new blog post walks through a few gentle questions worth asking: Who has access? Who has the authority to act? And does your backup person actually know what to do?

A little clarity now can make a hard day much easier for the people you care about. 💛

Read the full post on our blog. 👇

https://www.decosimolaw.com/blog/business-succession-planning

For California business owners: who holds the logins, who has the authority to act, and how your estate plan keeps the business running if you can't.

10/07/2026

🍂 Your October Update: Peace of Mind & Upcoming Events - https://mailchi.mp/decosimolaw/is-your-estate-plan-ready-for-summer-6433108

10/03/2026

👻 Don’t Let Estate Planning Haunt Your Holiday To-Do List - https://mailchi.mp/decosimolaw/is-your-estate-plan-ready-for-summer-6433047

09/29/2026

A trust and a well-managed portfolio don't always speak to each other. Beneficiary forms, account titles, retirement accounts, small details, easy to miss, worth a second look. Our latest post walks through why. Link in comments.

https://www.decosimolaw.com/blog/estate-planning-and-financial-advising

09/14/2026

You Have Life Insurance. But Will It Protect Your Family the Way You Think? - https://mailchi.mp/decosimolaw/is-your-estate-plan-ready-for-summer-6432286

09/14/2026

A Few Updates—and Something Fun This Fall - https://mailchi.mp/decosimolaw/is-your-estate-plan-ready-for-summer-6432545

09/12/2026

Life Insurance Is Not an Estate Plan, But It Can Make Your Estate Plan Work

Buying a policy answers one question: is there money? It doesn't answer who receives it, who controls it, or what happens if the beneficiary is a minor.

We've seen it play out again and again: a beneficiary form nobody updated after a divorce, minor children named directly (which triggers a court proceeding), a blended family where the "wrong" person ends up in control. None of these families did anything careless — they just assumed the policy was the plan.

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month, and it's a good time to ask a better question than "do I have coverage?" Ask instead: does my coverage match my current beneficiaries, my family, and my estate plan?

Life insurance isn't a substitute for an estate plan — but paired with the right beneficiary designations and trust, it's what makes the plan actually work when your family needs it most.

Read the full article (link in comments) 👇

Life insurance and estate planning need to work together. Four real California family scenarios show what happens when they don't.

09/05/2026

"Ya se sabe." Everyone already knows how it's supposed to go. For one California family, that shared understanding was never put into a legal document, and when their mother passed away, California law made the decisions she never got to make herself.

💛 In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, our newest blog post follows the story of Rosa's family, and what happened to the home she spent 34 years building a life around. It's not about expecting the worst, it's about protecting what your family has worked so hard to build. Read the full story on our blog.

#𝖯𝗋𝗈𝗍𝖾𝖼𝗍𝖸𝗈𝗎𝗋𝖥𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗒

A Temecula family assumed the family home would stay in the family. Without a trust, California intestate succession law decided otherwise. Here's what every multigenerational family should know.