When a person in California passes away, a person referred to as the estate representative is responsible for managing the deceased’s estate as it moves through the probate process. If your loved one left a will, it is likely that they named an estate representative...
Probate
Ensuring loved ones’ access to your bank account after your death
It is often one’s hope that their loved ones have their affairs in order. Assuming that everything will pass onto an heir following their passing may be an incorrect presumption to make. It is very possible that a loved one will not be able to carry out the deceased’s...
What happens during probate?
Probate is a legal term that many California residents have heard and probably associate with something negative. It is often said that probate should be avoided whenever possible, but not everyone takes the proactive steps of preparing an estate plan to accomplish...
Should you try to avoid probate?
If you die without a will in California, your estate will go through probate. Even if you leave a will behind, your estate might go through probate anyway to give people the chance to contest your will. Probate can be useful in certain situations, but you might want...
What is probate, and what are some ways to avoid it?
Most individuals have never sat down to draft their estate planning documents. Even fewer have been asked to serve as an executor of someone's estate. If you've never done either one of these, then you may know very little about the probate process. You should learn...
Some common issues with trust administration
A trust can be a great way to protect assets for loved ones who are set to inherit them. Yet, the effectiveness of a trust is often left in the hands of a trust administrator. This person may be named by the individual who created the trust, or he or she may be...
Simple probate may be available to those with smaller estates
Much of estate planning focuses on how an estate can avoid the probate process. There are many reasons why an individual may want to do this. To start, probate can stall the asset distribution process. It requires the identifying of assets, the settling of debts, and...
Probate basics: the executor of a will
Many Californians have heard of the probate process, but not everyone fully understands what it entails.The executor of an estate is an individual who is tasked with carrying out the terms of a will. But he or she may be expected to do much more than distribute assets...
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