The Journal — Plain-English Estate Law
Plain-English guidance on wills, trusts, probate, and protecting your family in California.
Are Electronic or Online Wills Valid in California?
California has not adopted electronic wills. A DocuSigned or emailed will isn't valid — you still need a signed writing with two witnesses. What actually makes a will…
Read →The California Statutory Will: When the Free Form Is Enough
California's Probate Code 6240 statutory will is a free, valid fill-in-the-blank form. Who it actually works for — and why owning a home usually means you need more.
Read →Per Stirpes vs. Per Capita in California: What They Actually Mean
Per stirpes sends a deceased beneficiary's share down to their kids; per capita splits among survivors. California's default, and which one most parents actually want.
Read →What Happens to the Mortgage When You Inherit a House? (California)
The mortgage doesn't vanish or come due when you inherit. How Garn-St. Germain protects you, your keep/refinance/sell options, and how reverse mortgages differ.
Read →Can You Refinance a House That’s in Your Living Trust? (California)
Yes — and it won't trigger reassessment. Why some lenders move title out temporarily, and the one mistake that leaves your home exposed to probate afterward.
Read →Life Estate vs. Transfer-on-Death Deed vs. Trust in California
Three ways to pass your home: a life estate, a revocable TOD deed, or a living trust. An honest comparison of control, cost, and who each one actually…
Read →Buying Out a Sibling on an Inherited House Without Losing the Prop 19 Basis
How to buy out your siblings on an inherited California home and keep the low property-tax basis — why a third-party trust loan, not a cash buyout, protects…
Read →Can You Change an Irrevocable Trust in California?
Irrevocable doesn't mean untouchable. Beneficiary consent, court modification, decanting, and trust protectors — the real ways to change an irrevocable trust in California.
Read →Want a straight read on where you stand?
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