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Estate Planning Alert provided as an educational service by Yuka Hongo, Estate Planning/Administrative and Captive Insurance Attorney
WHAT ARE THE MAIN ANCILLARY DOCUMENTS THAT ARE PREPARED WITH YOUR TRUST DOCUMENT?
When one prepares a trust, the trust designates which assets the settlor/grantor will give to which beneficiaries upon his/her death. The attorney who prepares the trust is likely to prepare some other ancillary documents for the settlor/grantor, together with the main trust document. Such primary ancillary documents can include the Pour-Over Will, Durable Power of Attorney, and the Health Care Power of Attorney.
 
WHAT IS THE POUR-OVER WILL?
A Pour-Over Will is a special type of will that is often prepared together with a trust document to ensure that assets that were not funded into the trust will be transferred to the trust upon the death of the settlor/grantor. Often, people forget to fund any assets that they purchased after they’ve already prepared his/her trust, into the trust. The Pour-Over Will ensures that such assets transfer to be made a trust asset, upon the death of the settlor/grantor.
 
WHAT IS A DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY?
A Durable Power of Attorney is a document in which the grantor/settlor of a trust can designate an agent who will make decisions for and manage the financial affairs of the settlor/grantor in the event that the settlor/grantor becomes incapacitated. The powers granted to such agent may include the power to buy/sell property, sign any contracts, or file tax returns on behalf of the incapacitated settlor/grantor.
 
WHAT IS A HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY (ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE)?
A Health Care Power of Attorney, which is also called the Advance Health Care Directive, is a document in which the grantor/settlor of a trust can designate an agent who will make decisions related to medical care for the settlor/grantor, in the event that the settlor/grantor becomes incapacitated. The Health Care Power of Attorney can also be used to designate certain wishes of the settlor/grantor, such as whether to receive any life-sustaining procedures in the event that he/she goes into a vegetative state, etc.
 
CONCLUSION
As the ancillary documents mentioned above serve an important purpose, it will be good for an individual to ask his/her attorney to prepare such ancillary documents, together with the individual’s main trust document.
 
CLIENT COMMENTS
"Lawyers in the U.S. can be difficult to talk to at times, but I think people find it easy to talk to Ms. Hongo. I also like the fact that Ms. Hongo follows up with her clients on a timely basis."
Sachiko Trillo, Honolulu
"Hongo Tsuji Tax & Consulting, our accounting firm, introduced me to Ms. Hongo. I consulted her with regards to estate planning, and I appreciated the fact that she took care of our documents in a timely manner."
K.A., Tokyo
 
"I appreciated Ms. Hongo's professional expertise and the kind way in which she took care of our matter. I am truly happy that she helped us."
Mitsuko Seto, Osaka
"Ms. Hongo not only prepared my trust, but also took care of legal matters involving my company. Her fee is reasonable and she follows up with you in a timely manner."
S. Suzuki, Company Owner
 
"Ms. Hongo took care of our matter in a kind manner. We liked the fact that her office was located in Waikiki, near our home."
Sugiyama, Waikiki
"I became a successor to 2 condominiums that my wife owned in Hawaii, after my wife passed away. Ms. Hongo took care of our probate matter in a short timeframe of 1 year. We feel very grateful to her."
Shuichi Sakamoto, Nasu
 
"Our clients were very satisfied with Ms. Hongo's service because she was able to explain matters such as probate in an easy-to-understand manner. Ms. Hongo is someone we can rely on for any matter."
Noboru Ohhashi, List Sotheby's, Tokyo
"Given that the U.S. real estate recording process and its pertaining laws differ from those of Japan, and it is difficult to learn about them in English, I appreciated Ms. Hongo being able to explain them to me in an understandable manner. I would like to seek her help in the future for other matters."
K. Iwasaki, Honolulu
 
"Ms. Hongo helped me with the estate planning for my real estate in Hawaii. I was glad she was able to help me during her visit in Japan."
S.T., Kawasaki
"It was our long-term goal to prepare a trust for our family. We are now able to take the next step in our lives, as Ms. Hongo applied her proficient bilingual skills to efficiently take care of our matter. We are very grateful for what she did for us."
A.P., Honolulu
 
You're invited to call or email
"If you have questions about estate planning/administration or captive insurance, please don't hesitate to call. I'll be glad to hear from you." – Yuka

Call (808) 237-9944 or email yuka.hongo12@gmail.com
 
Meet Yuka Hongo, Esq.
Yuka Hongo is a respected estate planning attorney based in Honolulu, Hawaii. She has practiced law for 10 years and is fluent in both English and Japanese.
 
Practice Areas: Yuka represents clients in matters relating to estate planning/administration, including probate and the preparation of transfer on death deeds. In addition, she assists clients in forming captive insurance companies in the State of Hawaii, and performing the corporate maintenance work on an ongoing basis for such companies.

Education: In 2000, Yuka graduated from Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and East Asian Studies. In 2004, she graduated from Loyola Law School (Los Angeles, CA), where she earned her Juris Doctor Degree.

Court Admissions and Bar Memberships: Yuka is a member of the Hawaii, California, and District of Columbia Bar Associations. As such, she is admitted to practice in all State Courts in Hawaii, California and the District of Columbia. Yuka is a member of the International Law Section of the Hawaii State Bar.

Additional Qualifications: Yuka is a Certifying Acceptance Agent who can obtain the ITIN tax number for foreigners in the U.S. In addition, she is a life insurance agent and a licensed notary public in Hawaii. Also, Yuka is fully bilingual in Japanese and English and has in-depth experience including complicated translations working with both languages.

Multicultural Background: Yuka has experience living and working in both the U.S. and Japan and has a thorough understanding of both cultures and the people who live in both countries. In addition, she loves working with people from other multicultural backgrounds, and working on international matters.

Accounting Experience: Yuka worked for the Tokyo office of a prominent U.S. accounting firm for the past number of years and has extensive experience working with tax and legal issues that arise from cross-border transactions.

Educational Presentations: Yuka has presented seminars in Japan relating to Transfer on Death Deeds in Hawaii and trusts in the United States.

Residence & Interests: Yuka lives in Honolulu, Hawaii and is single. She enjoys scoping out new eateries and restaurants.
 
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Yuka Hongo, Esq., Estate Planning/Administration and Captive Insurance Attorney
Hongo Law Office, LLLC
2155 Kalakaua Avenue, #410 • Honolulu, Hawaii 96815
Hawaii (808) 237-9944 • California (310) 923-2315
yuka.hongo12@gmail.comwww.hongolaw.com
Yuka Hongo, Esq. is licensed to practice law in California, Hawaii and the District of Columbia
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