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APRIL 2023 NEWSLETTER
Bittersweet Easter
Memories
by John M. Goralka, Esq.
My Easter memories are full of Easter egg hunts
with my five (5) brothers and three (3) sisters,
Easter mass and brunch. My mom loved mimosas
which were always served for Easter Brunch.
The same baskets were reused each year along
with the same plastic egg shells. My favorite Easter
memory was when I was about 12-13 years old. I
IN THIS
ISSUE
LEAD ARTICLE:
Bittersweet Easter
Memories
FREE WEBINAR:
What You Need to
Know About the
Recent Bank Failures
SPATs, SLATs &
DAPTs: Tongue
Twisting Alternatives to
Consider Before 2026
ADVENTURES WITH JOHN:
An Atmospheric River
and Bomb Cyclone
Adventure
WATCH THIS VIDEO:
Administering a Trust
GORALKA FIRM
CELEBRATIONS:
woke up with a string with a number three (3) by
my bed. I began to follow the string throughout the
house. I quickly discovered that each of my siblings
also had corresponding strings and numbers. The
strings crossed each other, went in and out of
rooms and closets until the string led us to our
Easter basket that year. A great memory.
The family Easter mystery over the years was
trying to identify who was poking a hole in the
easter candy on the bottom to identify the filling in
the candy. We always had one (1) or two (2) large
boxes of See’s candy being passed around. Years
later, we identified my mom as the culprit.
My saddest Easter memory was an Easter brunch
at my brother Ray’s home. Ray has many talents,
and one is working with plants. Ray’s yard was in
bloom and a great place for the family to visit. By
now, I have two (2) kids and live in Sacramento. I
see my mom in the crowd as I arrive and have a
great 10 or 15 minute conversation. After a short
“conversational lull”, we have the exact same
conversation two (2) or three (3) more times. This
was the year we discovered that my mom was
suffering from dementia. I believe my mom knew
and was trying to hide that.
Over the years, my mom’s condition steadily grew
worse. She eventually lost the ability to
communicate, walk and all of the most basic
activities that we each take for granted. My oldest
sister, Mary Jean or “MJ” cared for her with very
little if any meaningful outside help.
Jillian Ashby
WINERY
RECOMMENDATION:
Darioush
Thoughts of the Day
Client Testimonials &
Online Reviews
Contact Us
THOUGHTS
OF THE DAY
"Most people are
about as happy as
they make up their
minds to be."
—Abraham Lincoln
“Treat every
moment as a gift,
that is why it is
called the present”
—Deepak Chopra
NO SHORTCUTS
MJ made sure my mom still had regular trips such
as to Half Moon Bay, Tahoe and other favorite
locations. My mom was with us much longer than
we expected primarily as a result of MJ’s excellent
care.
My family will be meeting again soon to celebrate
MJ’s birthday and to thank her again for caring for
our mother.
Wishing MJ a Happy Birthday!
Wish you and yours all the best
this Easter!
John
JOIN US FOR A FREE WEBINAR:
What You Need to Know About the Recent Bank Failures
Silicon Valley Bank failed recently after a run on deposits. This was the biggest
bank failure since 2008. This was quickly followed by the failure of Signature
Bank. While repairs are announced and implemented, the crisis seems to be
arising overseas with Credit Suisse and other European Banks.
What do you need to know to protect your funds? What safe investments are
available to boost the FDIC guarantee limits?
You won't want to miss Alec Prinze of Prinze Foundational Planning as he
discusses this problem and some unique investment alternatives.
THURSDAY, APRIL 6
4pm to 5pm
MONDAY, APRIL 17
2pm to 3pm
OR CALL 916-440-8036
DISCLOSURE: Alec Prinze is an investment advisor with Raymond James Financial Services
Advisors, Inc. Prinze Foundational Planning is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of
Raymond James Financial Services. Securities and Advisory Services offered through Raymond
James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Prinze Foundational Planning,
Raymond James and the Goralka Law Firm, PC are separate entities.
An Atmospheric River and Bomb
Cyclone Adventure
On January 14, the 49ers were set to play their nemesis, the Seattle Seahawks
at Levi Stadium in San Francisco. San Francisco was also expected to be in
the middle of an atmospheric river and bomb cyclone. My friend Phill Todd and I
both said why not?
Certainly against better judgment, we walked to the car to begin our road trip
and were greeted with a massive hail storm. The rain became so intense that
we could not see much out the front window. We were very relieved the rain
became less intense as we entered the freeway.
We did not expect a big crowd from the weather reports and warnings issued
before game day. There was very little traffic even as we approached the
stadium. Even the lines for parking were not as long as we expected. As we
parked and began dressing for the
game, the other tailgaters gave us
free beer when they noticed that I
was wearing a wet suit (No Mask,
Snorkel, or fins) covered with a
light snow jacket and pants.
As we arrived, we were surprised
to see that the stadium was
packed with no empty seats. We
were all a little crazy to attend that
day. Our seats were 4 rows from
the field. A great view for a great
game. While the final score was
41-23 in favor of the 49ers, the
game was very close for the first
half. The rain stopped and the sun
even came as the game began. The rain returned with a vengeance as we left
to find our car.
What a great memory!
SPATs, SLATs, & DAPTs:
Tongue Twisting Alternatives to
Consider Before 2026
by John M. Goralka, Esq.
In today’s world of bank failures, real estate and stock market declines,
bombastic cyclones, floods, and atmospheric rivers, the only thing for certain
appears to be the uncertainty and potential for change in the future. This
potential for uncertainty underscores the need for flexibility in the seemingly
black and white world of planning for the tax efficient transfer of wealth. A gift
needs to be “completed” in order to achieve estate tax savings.
That said, current law provides a robust life-time estate tax exemption in the
amount of $12.92 million per person ($25.84 million for a married couple).
Current law also provides that this exemption will fall to $5 million per person
($10 million per married couple) on January 1, 2026 (the “2026 Tax
Exemption”). The 2026 Tax Exemption is adjusted for inflation and is
estimated to be $6.08 million per person ($12.16 million for married couple) for
2026.
For those with net estates of more than $6 million per person ($12 million per
married couple) planning should be considered to avoid the 40% estate federal
tax on amounts in excess of the 2026 Estate Tax Exemption.
However, the fear of economic uncertainty increases the need for...
Happy Anniversary, Jillian!
The Goralka Law Firm celebrated Jillian Ashby, Legal Assistant, on her one-
year anniversary with the firm last month. Jillian has assisted with a number of
tasks, including but not limited to trust and estate administration. She has also
helped support Mr. Goralka with his calendar and on some business and
advanced-planning matters. Congratulations, Jillian!
WATCH THIS VIDEO:
Administering a Trust
If you've never had a loved one pass away with a Living Trust, you might not be
sure what the experience may be to administer the trust. This is something that
the Goralka Law Firm has helped thousands of families with over the years.
Here's one client's experience when administering a trust with our firm.
READ ON
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
“John and his team have been
such an enormous help to our
family owned businesses. John is
always willing to help and answer
any questions we may have about
such a wide variety of things,
sales tax, deductions, loan
questions, etc. He was able to
help our family get out of the
mess that our previous attorney
had, unfortunately, put us in... Our
family will continue to use John at
Goralka Law Firm for as long as
he will have us!! Highly
recommend!”
—Thomas S.
“Goralka Law Firm has made
themselves an integral part of the
success of our business since
2017. John's expertise, guidance,
and accessibility have allowed us
to continue running at full speed
“I am writing to recommend
Attorney John Goralka whom I
have had the pleasure of working
with my Tax and Estate Planning. I
highly recommend John
Goralka as a skilled and
trustworthy legal professional.
Throughout our interactions,
Attorney John Goralka
consistently demonstrated a deep
understanding of the law and legal
processes. His knowledge and
expertise were evident in the
advice and guidance he provided
me with about my situation. I
found his ability to explain
complex legal issues in a clear
and concise manner to be
particularly helpful.
Moreover, he was always
professional and respectful in his
while staying highly organized.
We have used John when we
bought our business, planned the
structure, did tax planning and
more. We highly recommend
John’s services.”
—Dan L.
interactions with me. I felt that he
truly cared about my wishes and
the outcome of the estate and
worked diligently to ensure that
my heirs were protected. His
attention to detail and
thoroughness was impressive.
Most importantly, I appreciated
John Goralka's honesty and
integrity. I felt that he always
acted in my best interest.
In summary, I would highly
recommend Attorney John
Goralka to anyone seeking legal
counsel on asset protection,
Estate Planning and Probate. His
knowledge, professionalism, and
honesty make him an exceptional
lawyer who I trust and respect”
—Moonshine B.
Thanks for these lovely reviews! It's a reminder of why we do what we do!
And thanks to all of our clients for their business and referrals over the
years. Reviews like these are a reminder about why we do what we do and
reaffirms that we are not simply just preparing legal documents, but we're
cultivating relationships and really helping families and their loved ones with
transformational changes for generations to come.
Can you do us a huge favor and take a couple minutes of your time to leave us
some feedback and a review online at one (or more) of the following websites:
RECOMMENDED WINERY
Darioush Winery
Darioush
4240 Silverado Trail
Napa, CA 94558
Open daily 10:30am - 5:00pm
www.darioush.com
Even if you do not enjoy wines or
wine tasting, Darioush Winery is a
destination well worth the time to
visit. I recall visiting the Winery on
the Silverado Trail in Napa many years ago when there was simply a white
trailer or manufactured home with an American flag on the top. The Winery
itself is the recreation of an ancient Babylonian temple. A very unique site to
see.
The same Babylonian or Persian theme is continued inside the Winery with a
somehow appropriate mix of modern metals and electronics. As you enter the
parking areas, you will see a large
bowl seemingly held by a large
metallic hand. If the flame is lit in
the bowl, then the owners
Darioush Khaledi and Shahpar
Khaledi are home. They live at the
Winery.
There is not a wine that Darioush
makes that I do not like. I am very
rarely able to say this about a
winery. Their Flagship Wine is
Darius II, a cabernet which is sold
in a hand painted bottle displaying
unique art at the label. An easily
missed alternative is the Sage
Vineyard series. This is a single
vineyard blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc which is not made
every year.
If your preference is white wine, the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are light
and delicious. The Chardonnay is not the big buttery blend that is popular
elsewhere. A particular favorite white wine is the Viognier and the Late Harvest
Dessert Wine – Shahpar.
Good luck with your wine tasting adventures! Cheers.
NOTE: The client testimonials featured in this newsletter and on our website are from actual clients of
The Goralka Law Firm, APC. Their last names have been redacted to protect their privacy.
These client testimonials do not guarantee your particular results.
Copyright © 2023 Goralka Law Firm, APC, All rights reserved.
