What Is the Difference Between a Will and a Trust?
Wills and trusts are the basic building blocks of estate planning. Both wills and trusts can be used by people to arrange for their assets to pass to others after death. Although they are both used for estate planning, they are very different documents. Wills and trusts are created and operate in distinctly different ways.
What Is Probate?
Probate is the court procedure used to verify the validity of a will and to distribute a decedent's property after their death. In California, an estate in excess of $184,500 must be “probated” whether or not there is a valid will.
California Law on Elder Abuse
Before we opened our private practice, Teresa and I were legal aid attorneys at a non-profit organization that exclusively served older adults. Many of our clients there were victims of elder abuse. The abuse was physical, emotional, financial—often a combination.
Do You Need a Trust?
We’re starting this blog to share enough fundamentals about California elder law and estate planning to empower the reader to know what questions to ask, which legal services to seek out, and why it can be worth the time, effort and money to hire an attorney rather than relying on Counselor Internet.