Probate is a legal process that is processed by the Superior Court of the county of a deceased property owner. In California, if you die with assets greater in value than $166,250, and the property is not held in a trust or in joint tenancy, or has a pay on death feature, then you will…

If you are lucky enough to have accumulated real property, and investment and savings account, then you already know the value of having a trust along with other critical estate planning documents.  A properly drafted trust will avoid the time and expense of probate, and prevent California from recovering any Medi-Cal benefits you may have collected…

Make sure you update your beneficiary designations on all IRAs, 401K’s, insurance policies and any other assets that have a transfer on death designation. It’s always free and takes just a few minutes. I just completed a probate of a very large insurance policy where the father named the wife as primary but never designated…

I just discussed the issue of reverse mortgages with a client. She has a $425K home with a $325K RM and assumed she did not need a trust.  I explained that for her heirs to receive the equity in her home after she passed away the house would have to be sold within 6 months…

Every spring I see an increase in younger families coming in to do their estate plan. It’s typically driven by the desire to protect themselves if something happens during their summer vacation. Here are the top 3 concerns parents have shared with me over the years. Who will care for my children?California courts give great weight to…