Upon death or any other transfer of real estate in California you need to evaluate if a PT-58 form is required. It is the document which tells the county assessor that a transfer has been made, of real property, between a parent and a child.  This will preserve the parent’s property tax assessment or basis. […]

You hopefully have read my last two posts about Heggstad petitions. Though brief I think they provide a nice overview of what a Heggstad petition is. I have many other blog posts on the topic though. Just check the box on the right and find the other ones! Today we are talking about complexities with […]

We are a small law firm based in Sacramento but we can file probates in any, and EVERY, county in California.  We can “appear” telephonically by Court Call. This means we literally are heard by the Judge and the Court room and likewise we hear the proceedings live as they happen.  For probate Court matters […]

As stated in my last post a Heggstad petition is simply a petition to show the decedent’s intent for their assets to be in a trust.  Or, as some say it, to be held in trust.  The Heggstad case established the principle that an asset listed on the schedule of assets, attached to a trust, […]

Powers of attorney are legal documents wherein you appoint an “attorney in fact” to act on your behalf. This person is not an actual an attorney but “attorney in fact” basically means they will stand in your shoes to make whatever decisions are needed for you. While POA’s are essential documents that most every estate […]

A Heggstad petition is simply a petition to the probate Court to try and establish the decedent’s intent that they intended for assets to be a part of a trust.  The most common way of showing this is by looking at the schedule of assets attached to the trust. If the asset is listed there […]

Do you know what the federal estate tax exemption is this year?  Some say $5,000,000.  Some say there is no estate tax. Some say $600,000. Some say $1,000,000.  Some say $100,000. There are all different numbers that could be correct and there are many reasons people come up with those numbers. However, the correct answer […]

A lawyer friend recently told me, “the best advice a friend gave me when I got divorced was to let my wife have all the personal property because it’s all easily replaceable.”  He went on to say he had told his ex all he wanted was his car and his dog and she could have […]

It’s very easy for me to appear in probate Courts throughout California. I can “appear” telephonically via CourtCall. It’s an incredible service that allows you to hire the most organized and efficient probate attorney regardless of where your probate case is in California.  I have personally conducted probates in just about every single probate Court […]

“My mom died with $140,000 in assets so I want to do a small estate.” “I want to avoid a full probate because I have heard how horrible it can be.” “What do we have to do to qualify to be a small estate?” “Do we have to do a small estate if we have […]