We frequently get calls from beneficiaries wanting to change the title to California vacation homes. They already have a probate process in another state and merely need help “transferring title.” However, transferring title to real property after the death of an owner is usually not a simple process. If there…
Some celebrity estates are embroiled in the media and legal battles while others remain private and relatively peaceful. Here are some lessons learned from the estates of the rich and famous. Fund Your Revocable Trust Recently deceased Paul Walker set up a trust for the benefit of his minor daughter.…
Our Palm Springs Estate Planning attorneys have clients who frequently ask about putting their children’s name on their real property deed. The assumption is that this will avoid probate and will also avoid the necessity for a living trust or other complicated estate planning documents. However, this technique is usually…
A Trust is a written document that directs where your assets go when you die. However, unlike a will, a trust is a private instrument that does not require court intervention. If you have a trust you will avoid the court directed probate process and your estate can be administered…
Until recently, it was pretty easy to determine heirship. If you died leaving children, they were your heirs. However, in an age of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) the definition is becoming significantly murkier. Today, you may have biological children born years after your death. Are these children your heirs? Do…
A recent study in 2011 found that more than 50% of Americans do not have an estate plan. Furthermore, the study found that 92% of adults under 35 do not have one. A favorite saying among estate planning practitioners is, “Everyone has an estate plan. If you don’t create it…
Probate attorneys are well versed in handling contentious probate estates. Usually the problems involve money and beneficiaries and most of the time these problems are never publicized. However, probate problems with famous estates are a different matter entirely. These cases highlight the necessity for good estate planning for everyone. Rosa…
Burt + Clerc previously wrote about the need for everyone to have some basic estate planning documents in place. One of these fundamental documents is a will. In California, the probate courts allow an individual to create holographic will. This is essentially a handwritten will. There are some risks involved…
Probate is the legal process of transferring property after a loved one has passed away. It requires a petition to the Probate Court as well as various other forms and court hearings. Most Coachella Valley residents would rather avoid probate altogether because there are some serious drawbacks of having your…