The Journal — Plain-English Estate Law
Plain-English guidance on wills, trusts, probate, and protecting your family in California.
Can I Give Away Assets to Qualify for Medi-Cal in California?
Quick answer: Giving away assets before applying for Medi-Cal isn’t a crime by itself. Nothing in California law makes the gift itself illegal. What can happen instead is…
Read →The Medi-Cal Look-Back Is Phasing In Through 2028: What That Actually Means
Quick answer: California’s Medi-Cal transfer look-back period is 30 months, but it isn’t actually 30 months deep yet. Any transfer made between January 1, 2024 and December 31,…
Read →Do You Need a Lawyer for Trust Administration in California?
Quick answer: No California statute requires a successor trustee to hire an attorney. But the law imposes real personal exposure on a trustee who administers a trust incorrectly,…
Read →Affidavit of Death of Joint Tenant in California
Quick answer: An affidavit of death of joint tenant is the document that clears title to California real estate after one joint tenant dies. It states that the…
Read →Can an Executor Sell Property Without Beneficiary Approval in California?
Quick answer: Usually, yes. If the probate court granted the executor (technically, the personal representative) full authority under the Independent Administration of Estates Act, that person can sell…
Read →Letters of Administration in California: Who Gets Appointed When There Is No Will
Quick answer: When someone dies without a will, California law doesn’t let the family simply agree among themselves who runs the estate. Prob. Code § 8461 sets a…
Read →How to File a Petition for Probate in California: Forms, Fees, and Timeline
Quick answer: You open a California probate by filing Judicial Council form DE-111, “Petition for Probate,” with the superior court in the county where the decedent lived at…
Read →Estate Planning for Parents That Protects
Estate planning for parents protects children, avoids probate, and keeps assets under your control when illness, incapacity, or death strikes.
Read →Want a straight read on where you stand?
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