The Journal — Plain-English Estate Law
Plain-English guidance on wills, trusts, probate, and protecting your family in California.
Homeowner’s Insurance After Putting Your House in a Trust
Deeding your home into a living trust without updating the insurance can leave a coverage gap. The one call to make, and what to ask about title insurance…
Read →Community Property With Right of Survivorship in California (Civil Code § 682.1)
Married Californians holding title as joint tenants may be giving away a full step-up in basis. The CPWROS alternative, the double step-up, and when a trust beats both.
Read →How to Transfer a Mobile Home After a Death in California
Most mobile homes aren't 'real estate': they're titled through HCD, not the county recorder, and AI tools get this wrong constantly. The actual forms and steps.
Read →How to Refuse an Inherited Timeshare in California
You are not required to inherit a timeshare. The 9-month disclaimer window, the one mistake that locks you in, and what happens to the maintenance fees.
Read →Does Your Spouse Automatically Get Your 401(k)? ERISA vs. IRA Rules
For a 401(k), federal law makes your spouse the beneficiary unless they sign a notarized waiver. IRAs work completely differently. The blended-family trap explained.
Read →How to Open an Estate or Trust Bank Account in California
Which EIN you need (estate vs. trust, they're different), what the bank will ask for, and the exact order of operations after a death in California.
Read →Inheritance Advance Companies: What They Really Cost
Probate cash advances aren't loans, so the effective cost can be startling. How California courts review these deals under §11604.5, and the cheaper alternatives.
Read →Am I Entitled to a Copy of the Trust? California’s 120-Day Notice
When a California trust becomes irrevocable, the trustee must send a statutory notice, and beneficiaries can demand the trust's terms. The 16061.7 rules and real deadlines.
Read →Want a straight read on where you stand?
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