Yes—you can contest the validity of a trust or trust amendment in California, but only if you have legal grounds to do so. You cannot challenge a trust simply because you are unhappy with the outcome. The law provides specific circumstances under which a trust may be invalidated. Here are the four most common legal […]
If you’re a beneficiary involved in a dispute over a trust or will, consulting with an attorney is an essential first step. The good news? Many trust and estate attorneys offer free consultations to evaluate your case. However, knowing how to approach that consultation can make all the difference in whether an attorney takes on […]
When navigating the probate process in California, one of the first questions families often ask is: How much will a probate attorney cost? The answer depends on the type of legal services you need—whether it’s a standard probate administration or a more complex trust or estate litigation. Let’s look at probate attorney fees in California. […]
Probate can be a complex and confusing area of law. Whether you’re a beneficiary, executor, or concerned family member, it’s important to come prepared when speaking to a probate lawyer. Asking the right questions can help you understand your rights, responsibilities, and the overall legal process. The questions you ask will depend on whether the […]
Hiring your lawyer on a contingency basis sounds like a great idea. Instead of forking over tens of thousands of dollars for a retainer and refreshing that retainer month after month after month, you simply sign on the dotted line and pay nothing. Well, nothing up front any way. Contingency arrangements allow you to hire […]
You can expect probate, the legal process of distributing and closing a deceased person’s estate, to take 12 to 18 months in California. California law requires the completion of probate within one year of an executor or administrator being appointed by the court to handle the estate. However, large or complex estates can take longer. […]
Probate is the court-supervised process for transferring legal ownership of a deceased person’s assets and settling their debts and other financial affairs. Probate may require paying debts and distributing the decedent’s assets according to their will or state default rules if there is no will. If no one files probate for an individual who has […]
Trusts Wouldn’t it be nice to combine the best features of joint tenancy with a Will? That’s where Trusts come into play. Trusts are now one of the most widely used devices to transfer assets from parent to child. Over the course of this series you are going to learn how Trusts are used, and […]
Shouldn’t it be easy if I want to transfer my property to my kids after I am gone? Whatever it may be: a house, savings, stocks and bonds. What does it matter if I use a Trust, will, or anything else? It should just pass to the kids. But passing assets to your children is […]
In our first post in this Trust Uses and Abuses series, we discussed the dreaded word: Probate. In this post we will explore why the court-supervised world of Probate causes anxiety when it comes to using Wills. Why all the fuss? Well as you might imagine, any process that requires court supervision is going to […]
