In California probate, the appointment of a daughter as the Administrator of a deceased person’s estate gives her legal authority to gather and manage probate assets—even when a surviving spouse is present. However, the distribution and control of assets can become complicated depending on how property was titled and whether the decedent left a will. […]
Archives for April 2025
Is It Time for an Annual Planning Retreat?
Do you ever feel like you never have a moment to yourself? Or that even if you manage to carve out some personal time, you are not spending it as effectively as you could be? Our always-on culture may counterproductively (and counterintuitively) be holding us back from achievement. We can work hard and stay busy […]
Spring Cleaning of Your Mind
Welcome to Spring, a season of new life and new beginnings. There’s a freshness and a stirring sense of promise in the air as we wake from our winter hibernation and look forward to what summer and the rest of the year will bring. Growing up this meant little league baseball, spring soccer, rainy days […]
4 Tips to Avoid a Will or Trust Contest
Fighting over provisions in your will or trust can derail your final wishes, rapidly deplete your financial legacy, and tear your loved ones apart. However, with proper planning, you can help your family avoid a potentially disastrous fight. If you are concerned about challenges to your estate plan, consider the following: 1. Do not attempt […]
Have a Harmonious Family that Does Not Fight? You Still Need an Estate Plan
In many families, everyone gets along, happily gathering for the holidays, sharing laughs, telling stories, and enjoying each other’s company. Then, the matriarch or patriarch dies. Suddenly, years of pent-up resentment and hurt feelings surface, and the once-happy family is now embroiled in litigation over the head of the family’s money and property. Having an […]