Results-Oriented: Creative, Strategic And Skilled Legal Techniques
When someone dies here in California, their estate must go through probate before any assets can be passed on to their heirs and beneficiaries. Part of that process involves the estate paying off any outstanding claims from creditors who submit bills to the estate....
People create trusts for many different purposes. Those who want to provide support for a family member with special needs might fund a trust. People concerned about creditor claims against their personal property might establish trusts to protect their assets. ...
It is important that a person’s last wishes are respected after they pass away. However, there may be issues with a will or how a will was created that can leave loved ones confused and worried about how the deceased’s estate is managed. If family members and loved...
People often assume that their beneficiaries may get into estate disputes over major items. Maybe their parents’ house is incredibly valuable, and some beneficiaries want to keep it, while others simply want to sell it so they can get a portion of the money. They are...
Undue influence is sometimes a reason for litigation over an estate plan, a will, or even a trust. Essentially, it is an allegation that someone else influenced the person who was creating that plan. They would not have set the plan up this way on their own but were...
When a person creates an estate plan, they have to decide who will be the executor of their estate. This is the person who will handle the administrative duties once the creator dies. It’s critical that they name a person who can reasonably handle those duties. ...
Personal representatives or executors often commit a year or more of their time to estate administration. They carry out the last wishes of the deceased individual, repay creditors and manage estate resources. They are in a position of trust, and therefore they have a...
An executor is responsible for managing an estate's assets after a loved one has passed away. During the probate process, the executor will resolve the estate's debts, file taxes and distribute any remaining assets to beneficiaries. An executor has a fiduciary duty to...
Trusts are often created to protect and distribute assets for family members, charities or others with specific intentions in mind. A person appointed to oversee a trust plays a crucial role in making sure these goals are respected. However, not every trustee performs...
Many people have debt as adults. This can come from a variety of reasons, such as medical care, major purchases and credit cards. One question that often arises after the person passes away is who is responsible for those debts, because the debts don’t die along with...