I had the pleasure of going to a presentation yesterday as part of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation’s Philanthropic Advisor’s Forum. It’s a group of other professionals (estate planning attorneys, CPAs, financial planners, etc…) who deal with clients who give to charities.  One speaker, Scott Hanson (from Hanson McClain Advisors), spoke about this new project […]

People throughout California create revocable living trusts to avoid probate Court after death. It’s smart. It’s simple economics. If you have a $500,000 gross estate probate will be over $15,000 after your death.  Having a living trust, which may cost $2,500, will avoid probate. That doesn’t even factor in the emotional cost of probate. Just […]

Did you know you can get a distribution BEFORE 7 months is up in a California probate case? That’s true. Below are my notes from a 2008 seminar I presented on probate law to a group of attorneys.  Please review these notes, our probate website (www.californiaprobate.info) or contact me directly.  -John Partial Distributions Pursuant to […]

Just saw this article about a very famous California probate case. I still want to know why he didn’t have a living trust although I have a guess… and yes it’s based on the size of probate attorney fees in California!  Article at:   https://www.thecmuwebsite.com/article/jackson-estate-will-pay-30-million-to-his-mother-and-children/ Executors for Michael Jackson’s estate plan to hand over $30 million […]

Disclaimers are an incredible tool to be used in California estate planning, trust and probate law. Typically they are used after death in probate and trust administration settings. In some cases people call it “after death estate planning.” In any event it is a very powerful tool that not enough California attorneys know about. Below are […]

A lot of people come home from a vacation with a souvenir they did not intend to ever buy… a shiny new TIMESHARE or ”vacation club” or even a fancy “fractional ownership!”   It seemed like a great idea after a couple of Mai Tais I am sure!  One of the sales benefits often gushed by the […]

More information from my 2008 presentation on probate in California is pasted below. This section is on managing the estate cash responsibily.  Failure to do so can make you personally liable so be careful! For more information contact me directly or visit our website at www.californiaprobate.info   Managing the Estate Cash Responsibly As stated in […]

These posts I am making from a past probate seminar I gave for NBI have generated a lot of interest. That’s great. I have a hunch this will generate the most. There are a lot of insolvent (BANKRUPT) probate estates in California. In many of these cases we can still put dollars in your pocket […]

I am getting good feedback from my lecture notes so here are some more.  This is also from my 2008 probate lecture to attorneys held at the Sheraton in downtown Sacramento. It was a lecture to a room full of people interested in the California probate process. This section is about creditors.  There are ways […]

I met with some clients today who came in to sign their California revocable living trust, wills, powers of attorney for financial affairs, advanced medical directives (“Living will”), HIPPA releases, deeds, etc….  What was unusual is they did what I advise people to do but so few take advantage of the offer.  I tell clients […]