Trustee compensation can be a tricky issue. Most Trust documents do not specify an amount for Trustee compensation. And even the California Probate Code states that Trustee compensation must be “reasonable” (see Section 15681), but what is reasonable? First, let’s consider situations where a Trustee is not entitled to compensation at all because that may […]
We’ve addressed the issue of Trust and Will no-contest clauses several times in our blog posts and videos in the past, but we think it’s an important issue to keep people aware of what the legislation is in California pertaining to no-contest clauses. A no-contest clause is generally included in a Trust, Will, or both, […]
We want to talk to you about a fantastic device that we’re starting to use in our cases called the Informal Discovery Conference. We call these IDCs for short. What is an Informal Discovery Conference? It’s an informal meeting with the judge to resolve a discovery dispute. Discovery disputes arise where a party either refuses […]
Nobody likes Motions to Compel. We don’t like Motions to Compel. Judges don’t like them, and neither do the opposing parties we bring them against. But they are, sometimes, required to be brought in cases where you need information to make sure you know what facts, witnesses and documents are in a case prior to […]
Many times, a Trustee will get themselves into trouble because they will take some action that is a conflict of interest. A Trustee is a fiduciary of the Trust. That means that they owe a duty to the Trust and to the Trust beneficiaries to treat them fairly, to do the right thing. And one […]
How do you handle bad trustees? We do many, many consults with clients where they come in and say: “I’m the beneficiary of a trust, I have a right to these assets, and the trustee’s refusing to distribute those assets to me; what am I to do?” Many people think that we, as lawyers, can […]
What is the difference between lack of capacity and undue influence? We talk a lot about these concepts on our videos, our blog, all of our websites, because it really is the most important part of a Trust or Will contest. We’re almost always bringing a claim to try to overturn a Trust or Will […]
How do you handle a bad Trustee who refuses to communicate with you? One of the biggest problems we see for Trust beneficiaries is that their Trustee simply doesn’t communicate with them. The Trustee may not tell you what the assets of the Trust are, may not explain what the investments are, may refuse to talk […]
How hard is it to obtain your California inheritance? That’s really a loaded question because our law firm deals primarily with clients who have a difficult time obtaining their inheritance. That’s why they come to us because they have some sort of problem that is preventing them from getting the money that they deserve – […]
Must you always go to court to receive your inheritance under a trust? For example, say that you’re the 50% beneficiary of a Trust, but the Trustee refuses to distribute your assets to you. It’s been three years since your Mom or Dad passed away and there’s no reason for your sibling, the Trustee, to […]
