The Journal
Plain-English Estate Law
Plain-English guidance on wills, trusts, probate, and protecting your family in California.
Do You Have to Tell Your Lender and Insurer When Your House Goes Into a Trust?
Deeding your home into a living trust without updating the insurance can leave a coverage gap. The one call to make, and what to ask about title insurance…
Read →How Much Does a Living Trust Cost in California?
The cheap trust and the expensive trust often hide the same defect. Here's what really drives the price, how it compares to probate, and the question to ask…
Read →Trust Transfer Deed After Death in California
"Trust transfer deed" isn't a special deed type. It's a grant deed a trustee signs to move property to a beneficiary, and getting the details right matters.
Read →How to Keep SSI and Medi-Cal After a Personal Injury Settlement in California
A personal injury settlement can end SSI and Medi-Cal eligibility within weeks. SSI counts a settlement as income in the month it arrives and as a resource on…
Read →Full vs. Limited Authority Under the IAEA in California Probate
Under California’s Independent Administration of Estates Act, full authority and limited authority differ only on real estate. A personal representative with full authority can sell, exchange, grant an…
Read →Prop 19 and the Inherited House: How Reassessment Works
How Prop 19 reassesses an inherited California house: the $1,044,586 cap worked out, the forms and deadlines, sibling and trust distributions, and what happens if the child moves…
Read →California’s Biggest Lottery Jackpots, and What the Winners’ Claims Show
Written by Eric Ridley, California lottery lawyer and estate planning attorney, Ridley Law. Last reviewed September 28, 2026. I count 23 California-sold Powerball and Mega Millions jackpot tickets…
Read →California Lottery Pool Agreement, With a Free Sample
Written by Eric Ridley, California lottery lawyer and estate planning attorney, Ridley Law. Last reviewed September 28, 2026. Lottery pools are legal in California, and an oral pool…
Read →Want a straight read on where you stand?
Talk to Eric. A free 30-minute call, no pitch. He’ll tell you where you’re exposed, what it would cost to fix, and what you can skip.
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