The Journal
Plain-English Estate Law
Plain-English guidance on wills, trusts, probate, and protecting your family in California.
Can’t Find the Original Will? What to Do in California
If the original will was last with the person who died and can't be found, California presumes it was revoked. How to probate a lost or copy will,…
Read →Are Electronic or Online Wills Valid in California?
California has not adopted electronic wills. A DocuSigned or emailed will isn't valid. You still need a signed writing with two witnesses. What actually makes a will legal.
Read →The California Statutory Will: When the Free Form Is Enough
California's Probate Code 6240 statutory will is a free, valid fill-in-the-blank form. Who it actually works for, and why owning a home usually means you need more.
Read →Per Stirpes vs. Per Capita in California: What They Actually Mean
Per stirpes sends a deceased beneficiary's share down to their kids; per capita splits among survivors. California's default, and which one most parents actually want.
Read →Can You Refinance a House That’s in Your Living Trust? (California)
Yes, and it won't trigger reassessment. Why some lenders move title out temporarily, and the one mistake that leaves your home exposed to probate afterward.
Read →Life Estate vs. Transfer-on-Death Deed vs. Trust in California
Three ways to pass your home: a life estate, a revocable TOD deed, or a living trust. An honest comparison of control, cost, and who each one actually…
Read →Buying Out a Sibling on an Inherited House Without Losing the Prop 19 Basis
How to buy out your siblings on an inherited California home and keep the low property-tax basis: why a third-party trust loan, not a cash buyout, protects Prop…
Read →Can You Change an Irrevocable Trust in California?
Irrevocable doesn't mean untouchable. Beneficiary consent, court modification, decanting, and trust protectors. The real ways to change an irrevocable trust in California.
Read →Want a straight read on where you stand?
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