The Journal — Plain-English Estate Law
Plain-English guidance on wills, trusts, probate, and protecting your family in California.
Executor’s Role in a California Will
Short answer: An executor is the person named in a California will to carry out its instructions after the willmaker dies: locating and protecting the estate’s assets, paying…
Read →Pour-Over Will: How It Works for Heirs
Short answer: A pour-over will is a backup document that works alongside a revocable living trust. It catches any assets you never got around to retitling into the…
Read →7 Common California Estate Planning Myths Debunked
Discover 7 common california estate planning myths and learn how to protect your family's wealth and future effectively.
Read →Fund a Trust: Easy Asset Transfers
Short answer: Funding a trust means legally retitling your assets, real estate by a new deed, financial accounts by change of ownership paperwork, other property by a signed…
Read →What Happens When a Trustee Dies in California
The trust survives, but someone has to formally step in. Here's the order of operations, and the one recording step people skip and regret.
Read →What Does a Successor Trustee Do in California?
Named successor trustee in California? Here's a plain-English walkthrough of the legal duties, deadlines, and pitfalls that come with the job.
Read →Undue Influence vs. Lack of Capacity in CA Trusts
The same facts (an elderly parent, a late-life change, a new favorite caregiver) can support two very different legal claims. Knowing which one fits changes how the case…
Read →What Is Undue Influence Under Probate Code § 86
"He wasn't himself those last two years" isn't a legal claim, but undue influence is. California has written it into statute with real precision, and the law gives…
Read →Want a straight read on where you stand?
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