The Journal
Plain-English Estate Law
Plain-English guidance on wills, trusts, probate, and protecting your family in California.
Can I Remove an Executor in California?
Quick answer: Yes. Under California Probate Code §§ 8500 and 8502, any interested person, a beneficiary, heir, or creditor, can file a petition asking the probate court to…
Read →The BulletproofTrust Problem
Short answer: No trust document is automatically effective just because its cover page calls it “bulletproof,” “ironclad,” or an “asset protection trust.” California does not let someone set…
Read →Will & Trust Benefits 2026 now!
Short answer: A revocable living trust and a pour-over will work together, not as substitutes for each other. The trust holds and distributes whatever you actually transfer into…
Read →All About Wills And Trusts
Short answer: A will and a living trust are not interchangeable. A will only takes effect after a court validates it through probate. A funded revocable living trust…
Read →Is a Handwritten (Holographic) Will Valid in California?
Learn about CA handwritten wills in 2026. Discover the legal requirements for holographic wills in California and if they're right for you. Get started today.
Read →Estate Planning: Single Parents
Short answer: For a California single parent, the document that matters most is a will that nominates a guardian for your children, because that is not something a…
Read →Revocable Trusts: Flexibility and Control in Estate Planning
Short answer: A revocable living trust lets you keep full control over your assets while you are alive, change or cancel it whenever you want, and, once it…
Read →Estate Planning 2026: Protect Your Kids
Protect your children's inheritance with estate planning in 2026. Avoid accidental disinheritance in second marriages. Discover how a QTIP trust works....
Read →Want a straight read on where you stand?
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