The Journal — Plain-English Estate Law
Plain-English guidance on wills, trusts, probate, and protecting your family in California.
Can You Open a Safe Deposit Box After a Death in California?
You don't need court letters to open a deceased relative's safe deposit box in California to look for the will: the statute, the steps, and what you can…
Read →How to Access a Deceased Parent’s Bank Account in California
Frozen account? California's small-estate affidavit lets you collect a deceased parent's bank accounts without probate if the estate is under the current limit. Exact steps.
Read →How to Remove a Trustee in California
A trustee who won't communicate, won't account, or is quietly draining a trust can be removed by court order. Here's the process, the evidence you need, and what…
Read →How Long Does Trust Administration Take in California?
A realistic, stage-by-stage timeline for California trust administration, from initial notice through final distribution, plus what speeds it up or slows it down.
Read →Does a Living Trust Need to Be Notarized in California?
California law doesn't require a trust to be notarized, but in practice you'll need a notary anyway. What the law requires vs. what banks and county recorders demand.
Read →What Is a Trust Protector – and Do You Need One in California?
Trust protectors are heavily marketed and lightly regulated in California. What they can actually do, when one helps, and when it's an upsell you can skip.
Read →Can Siblings Force the Sale of an Inherited House in California?
Yes. Any co-owner can file for partition. But California's newer partition law gives you a right to buy your siblings out first. How it works and what changed.
Read →Inheriting a House With a Reverse Mortgage in California
A reverse mortgage comes due when the borrower dies. Heirs have real options (keep it for 95% of value, sell, or walk away) but the deadlines are short.…
Read →Want a straight read on where you stand?
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