I ask this question and it’s personal to me… Do you have to change a California Scholarshare 529 account after the death of an owner? Let’s talk through the mechanics of the situation and how it SHOULD operate first. Let’s hypothetically say a grandma puts aside money for each of two grandchildren when they are […]

It seems implausible that I would ask the question of the relationship between Donald Sterling and the sale of Los Angeles Clippers and the California probate code. However, I have reason to do so! As far as I know Donald Sterling and his wife, Shelly, are still alive and well. According to a quick internet […]

Some people, including Rupert Murdoch apparently, like to put controls on their money and assets after they die. In the world of estate planning we call this controlling from the grave… not that there is anything wrong with it. Heck, it’s your money so set it up how you want! Reading this NY Times article […]

Clearly Queen Elizabeth II counts as a celeb estate, right!? Seeing this article got me thinking that we should talk about: Estate planning, Royal Family, celeb estates and what you can learn? This article is very interesting for several different things but most notably is the question of when should your children, or other beneficiaries, […]

While this is not a California probate case it is an interesting case related to death, a celebrity and money! Check this one out! I don’t know who’s the good guy and who’s the bad guy but interesting for sure! Larry King’s Widow Settles $100 Million War Over His Fortune After She Was Accused of […]

Nothing draws eyeballs to my website like a celeb estate story. I don’t know about you but I will admit to watching Beverly Hills 90210. In fact, it was our Thursday night study break during law school back in the early 90’s. As this article shows a lot of Ms. Doherty’s financial information is public […]

I saw an article yesterday about Carl Weathers California probate. It made it sound as if Mr. Weathers died with under one million in assets. Though the article didn’t specifically say that I got that feeling – as if he was a spendthrift or something who spent too much. With a couple simple internet searches […]

I get asked the question a lot that goes something like this: How should you handle a beneficiary who is asking me, the trustee, for paperwork? OR Do I have to give the beneficiary a copy of the bank statements? OR Do I have to give a copy of everything to the beneficiary? The list […]

I am only a California attorney but like to tell you about celeb proceedings when  I see them. This one is in Clark county (Las Vegas) Nevada but certainly this former California resident is newsworthy! It will be interesting to follow this probate and see what the creditors do. Though he may not have a […]

On April 23, 2024 John Palley was a guest on a podcast talking about California probate and estate nightmares. The podcast is called Estate Planning Nightmares…. and how to avoid them by Jonathan Braddock. It is available in the all usual podcast services as well as a video feed on YouTube! In addition to talking […]