Law Watch: California Estate Planning Law, Checked Every Week

By Eric Ridley, attorney, Ridley Law. Updated November 2026.

California estate planning law changes in small, specific ways. A dollar threshold adjusts on a set date, the IRS publishes a new interest rate every month, a bill amends the Probate Code, a Court of Appeal decides what a trust clause means. Law Watch is the group of pages on this site that track those changes. Each one is checked every week against its primary source, meaning the statute, the court’s own page, or the IRS ruling, and each one shows the date it was last verified.

Mechanical updates, like a new month’s section 7520 rate, go up once the IRS publishes them and the figure checks out against its own formula. Anything that takes judgment, like a new statute or an appellate decision, I review before it goes up. Every change is logged with its date and source on the law updates page.

What changed recently

See every change, with sources.

Pages Law Watch keeps current

Page What it tracks Last verified Next scheduled change
Asset Protection Law in California: Rules and Rulings by Strategy Statutes and California, Ninth Circuit, Supreme Court, and IRS rules on LLCs, trusts, exemptions, voidable transfers, and federal tax collection November 4, 2026 Homestead amounts adjust January 1, 2027; exemption amounts April 1, 2028
California Estate Planning Numbers Probate and small-estate thresholds, the federal estate and gift tax exclusion, and Medi-Cal asset limits November 4, 2026 IRS 2027 inflation figures, expected late 2026; Probate Code §890 adjustment, April 1, 2028
Digital Assets and Cryptocurrency in a California Estate Plan California’s digital asset access law (RUFADAA) and who controls online accounts after death November 4, 2026 None scheduled
Do California Trusts and LLCs Have to File a BOI Report? Federal beneficial ownership reporting for California LLCs and trusts November 4, 2026 None scheduled
Inherited IRA and the 10-Year Rule in California The SECURE Act 10-year rule, annual RMDs under the final regulations, IRS penalty relief, and California tax on inherited IRAs November 4, 2026 None scheduled
Probate Notes in Los Angeles County When Los Angeles posts probate notes and the deadline to clear them November 4, 2026 LA local rules revisions, January 1, 2027
Probate in Southern California: A County-by-County Guide Where Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara hear probate, filing rules, fees, and publication November 4, 2026 Statewide fee schedule, January 1, 2027
Section 7520 Rates by Month The IRS interest rate used to value annuities and remainder interests, every month since January 2025 November 4, 2026 December 2026 rate, expected mid-November 2026
Ventura County Probate: Courthouse, Calendar, and Probate Notes Where Ventura County hears probate, the weekly calendar, will lodging, filing fees, e-filing, and remote appearances November 4, 2026 Ventura local rules revisions, January 1, 2027; statewide fee schedule, January 1, 2027

How these pages are checked

Every figure on a Law Watch page is tied to the organization that first published it: the Legislature for statutes, the Judicial Council for adjusted probate amounts, the IRS for tax figures and rates, the Welfare and Institutions Code and the Legislative Analyst’s Office for Medi-Cal, and each superior court for its own procedures. Secondary sources, including other law firms’ websites, are never the source for a number here. When a source changes, the page that relies on it is flagged the same week. If you find an error, email eric@ridleylawoffices.com.

For the rest of the library, see the free California estate planning guides, the estate planning statistics and guides, and the plain-English glossary.

These pages are for general information only, not legal advice. Consult an attorney about your specific situation.

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