Wills

A will should reflect the wishes of the California resident executing it, and should effectuate their desires in terms of the distribution of their assets upon their death. In fact, if a will is suspected to have been executed by someone who did not understand the...

A will is supposed to be a document through which a decedent communicates their desire for the disposition of their assets and property. In California a person must have the requisite mental capacity and be at least 18 years of age in order to create a valid will....

The topic of inheritance, and in this case disinheritance, can be a very touchy subject for California families. It is generally believed that when a person dies their assets and property will pass to a spouse and if they do not have a spouse then their assets and...

Individuals often recognize the importance of having an estate plan, even if they have not yet created one of their own. Drafting a will and executing trusts can be sobering for some Californians as they come to terms with the fact that their estate planning documents...

Several posts on this California estate planning blog have discussed the requirements that individuals must meet in order to prepare a legally enforceable will. One of those requirements is that the creator of the will was of sound mind when the document was executed....

Admittedly, a will is not an exciting testamentary tool. Although movies and television programs sometimes sensationalize the reading of characters' wills to add drama and intrigue to family conflicts and to add wrinkles into complex storylines, in actuality a will is...

A will is a useful testamentary tool for outlining how a person would like their property disposed of upon their death. It can be used to serve other purposes as well, but if a will fails to satisfy the statutory requirements set forth by the California legislature,...

Many people in the Sacramento area and other parts of California may already have a trust set up for the maintenance and distribution of their property both during their lives and following their deaths. These trusts, called inter vivos trusts, are popular among...

Although it may sound like an item out of a science fiction book or movie, holographic wills are a real thing, and they are valid in some states throughout the U.S., including the state of California. Ironically, holographic wills are the opposite of anything...

While most Californians have a vague understanding of the importance of a will, it is still one of the issues about which people procrastinate the most. It is not easy to envision one's own death, but when there are loved ones whose future is likely to be at stake if...