The Journal — Plain-English Estate Law
Plain-English guidance on wills, trusts, probate, and protecting your family in California.
Is There a ‘Reading of the Will’ in California? (No – Here’s What Happens)
The lawyer-reads-the-will-to-the-family scene is a movie invention. What California law actually requires after a death. The 30-day lodging rule and who gets notified.
Read →How to Open an Estate or Trust Bank Account in California
Which EIN you need (estate vs. trust, they're different), what the bank will ask for, and the exact order of operations after a death in California.
Read →Inheritance Advance Companies: What They Really Cost
Probate cash advances aren't loans, so the effective cost can be startling. How California courts review these deals under §11604.5, and the cheaper alternatives.
Read →Am I Entitled to a Copy of the Trust? California’s 120-Day Notice
When a California trust becomes irrevocable, the trustee must send a statutory notice, and beneficiaries can demand the trust's terms. The 16061.7 rules and real deadlines.
Read →Can a Trustee Also Be a Beneficiary in California?
Yes, it's the most common arrangement in family trusts. Where the real conflicts show up, the duties that still apply, and when a co-trustee or professional makes sense.
Read →What Does HEMS Mean in a Trust? Health, Education, Maintenance, Support
HEMS sounds vague but has real legal edges. What a California trustee can and can't pay for under the standard, and why the acronym exists in the first…
Read →Affidavit of Death of Trustee in California
A trustee dies and the successor has no obvious way to prove it. Recording an affidavit of death of trustee is usually the first real step in trust…
Read →Can You Sell a House That’s in a Living Trust? (California)
Yes. While you're alive you sell it exactly like any other house, no 'taking it out of the trust' required. What escrow will ask for, and how post-death…
Read →Want a straight read on where you stand?
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