The Journal
Plain-English Estate Law
Plain-English guidance on wills, trusts, probate, and protecting your family in California.
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 →Challenging a Trust Amendment for Lack of Capacity
Trust amendments are held to a higher capacity standard than wills. If a parent signed one while cognitively impaired, California law gives you a specific way to challenge…
Read →Capital Gains Tax on Inherited Property in California
Most people who inherit a house assume they'll owe tax on the whole thing when they sell it. Usually they're wrong, and the reason is basis, not exemption.
Read →Can Beneficiaries Agree to Change a Trust in California?
Beneficiaries assume that if everyone agrees, they can just change a trust themselves. That's only partly true, and the gap can create real legal exposure.
Read →Your Rights as a Beneficiary in California
Being a California trust beneficiary comes with specific, enforceable rights. Here's what the law guarantees you and what to do when a trustee ignores them.
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 →Want a straight read on where you stand?
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