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Can you challenge your Trustee

When someone dies in California, who is responsible to pay the debts? The simple answer is the estate, but that’s not such a simple matter in most cases. The reason it is not so simple is because most people do not require a probate estate to be opened. If all of your assets pass through […]

dog left outside in the cold

Last updated on 09/04/2024 What can you do when you find yourself left out of a parent’s Will? That all depends on the circumstances surrounding the creation of the Will in the first place. Understanding Inheritance Rights in California For starters, in California children do not have a right to inherit any property from a […]

When arranging to take care of your loved ones after your death becomes a concern, it’s necessary to consult an expert in matters of estate planning and probate. An experienced attorney can help you determine your needs and how best to ensure your last wishes will be met. Even so, it may be helpful to […]

Elder Financial Abuse: Estate Planning Can Help California defines financial elder abuse as the unlawful appropriation of money or tangible property from a person who is elderly. Whether from outright theft or from manipulation, elder abuse is a serious infraction that can result in jail time. Examples Of Elder Abuse Cashing checks without authorization Obtaining […]

Elder Financial Abuse: Estate Planning Can Help California defines financial elder abuse as the unlawful appropriation of money or tangible property from a person who is elderly. Whether from outright theft or from manipulation, elder abuse is a serious infraction that can result in jail time. Examples Of Elder Abuse Cashing checks without authorization Obtaining […]

A Fiduciary Can Be Part Of Estate Planning A fiduciary is an individual or organization who has been given the legal authority to act in the best interest of another in various situations. It is important they are loyal, honest and worthy of trust. A fiduciary is hired to make important decisions without regard to […]

Many people operate under the mistaken assumption that the law is black and white. That is to say, the law is enforced as it is written…period. But the law is not so black and white after all. In fact, most of the time there is plenty of grey area in the law. This happens for […]

So who is in charge of overseeing your Trustee if that person chooses to violate the law and breach his or her fiduciary duties? Surely there is some governmental agency that will step in and hold that bad Trustee accountable…isn’t there? The truth is that there is no governmental authority that oversees that acts of […]

This post is the first in a series of ten posts that will discuss the top 10 myths and misconceptions of trusts and wills. There’s a lot to learn, so let’s get started on this first installment: Is a Trust a public document? Many times people would like to see a copy of their parents’ […]

Questioning yourself

While it may be funny to think about, you can notice your own client’s deposition if you wish to preserve his or her testimony prior to trial. This is a rarely used technique for rather obvious reasons, you do not usually want to disclose to the opposing party what your questions will be come time […]