The Journal — Plain-English Estate Law
Plain-English guidance on wills, trusts, probate, and protecting your family in California.
Probate Bonds in California: Cost, Requirements, and Waivers
What a California probate bond costs, how the amount is set, and why courts sometimes require one even when the will waives it.
Read →Does Divorce Revoke a Will or Trust in California?
What divorce actually does to your will, trust, and beneficiary forms in California, including the restraining orders that limit changes while the divorce is pending.
Read →How to Transfer a Car Title After a Death in California
You usually don't need probate for a vehicle. The DMV REG 5 affidavit, the surviving-spouse option, and the exact steps to transfer a car title after a death.
Read →Your Will Says One Thing, Your 401(k) Another – Which Wins? (California)
The beneficiary form wins. Why life insurance, 401(k)s, and IRAs pass outside your will, the ex-spouse disaster ERISA creates, and the audit you should run today.
Read →Are Payable-on-Death Accounts as Good as a Trust? (California)
POD and TOD accounts avoid probate cheaply but cover nothing if you're incapacitated and can't protect minor or special-needs heirs. When they're fine, and when they aren't.
Read →Do Stepchildren Inherit in California?
Without a will, trust, or adoption, stepchildren inherit nothing in California, with one narrow exception. What to do if you want to include (or exclude) them.
Read →Does a Prenup Override a Will or Trust in California?
A valid prenup can waive a spouse's inheritance and omitted-spouse rights, so it can control what a spouse gets. Why your prenup and estate plan must be kept…
Read →Non-Citizen Spouse and the Estate Tax: The QDOT Rule (California)
The unlimited marital deduction doesn't apply to a non-citizen spouse. How a QDOT defers the estate tax, the $194,000 gift limit, and who actually needs to plan for…
Read →Want a straight read on where you stand?
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