The Journal — Plain-English Estate Law
Plain-English guidance on wills, trusts, probate, and protecting your family in California.
Date-of-Death Appraisal in California Trust Administration
A trustee who skips a proper date-of-death appraisal is guessing at three different numbers that all matter. Here's what the appraisal establishes and how to get one.
Read →Creditor Claims Against a Trust in California
Whether a creditor can collect from a California trust depends on who created it, what kind of trust it is, and when the debt arose. Here's the breakdown.
Read →Co-Trustee Deadlock: What to Do When They Disagree (CA)
With exactly two co-trustees, California law generally requires unanimous agreement. Here's what happens when they can't get there.
Read →Community Property vs. Separate Property in Trust Administration
Before a trustee distributes a dollar, one question has to be answered: was this community property or separate property? Here's why it matters and how to sort it…
Read →Community Property vs. Separate Property Step-Up in California
Two identical houses, same date of death, same trustee. One sale owes no capital gains tax. The other owes tax on half the appreciation. The only difference is…
Read →Commingled Assets in Trust Administration (California)
Thirty years of joint accounts and shared mortgage payments blur the line between what was always yours and what became ours. Here's how a trustee is supposed to…
Read →Closing a Trust in California: Final Steps
A trust doesn't close itself when the last check clears. A specific sequence protects the trustee from claims down the road, and skipping steps is expensive.
Read →How Trustees Characterize and Trace Assets After Death (California)
Tracing an asset's character is often the hardest, least-warned-about part of serving as trustee. Here's how it actually works, and what to do when the paper trail goes…
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.
Talk to Eric