The Journal — Plain-English Estate Law
Plain-English guidance on wills, trusts, probate, and protecting your family in California.
Heggstad Petition Process: Filing, Evidence, Timeline (CA)
Confirming an omitted asset into a trust isn't automatic. Here's the filing process, the evidence a judge wants to see, and the real timeline.
Read →Grounds for Trustee Removal Under §15642 in California
Not every complaint about a trustee is a legal basis for removing them. Here's what §15642 actually requires, ground by ground, and how courts weigh the evidence.
Read →Generation-Skipping Trust Administration in California
A trust naming grandchildren triggers a separate federal tax regime. Here's what a trustee has to track, file, and report to stay compliant.
Read →Financial Elder Abuse and Trust Contests in California
When a rewritten trust follows financial exploitation, California treats it as more than a family dispute. Elder abuse law adds remedies an ordinary trust contest doesn't have.
Read →Dementia and Undue Influence in Trust Disputes
A parent with dementia who "seemed fine" to a notary can still have been an easy target. Here's how California's four-factor undue influence test applies when cognitive decline…
Read →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 →Want a straight read on where you stand?
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