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How to Avoid Probate Without a Living Trust - Werner Law Firm

How to Avoid Probate Without a Living Trust

POSTED ON: October 4, 2022 BY: The Werner Law Firm, PC
When a person dies, their belongings distribute among the living. There is very little we can take with us into the afterlife – and most of what counts as a personal possession, especially property, must pass into another person's ownership. Probate laws determine this. Probate refers to the judicial process of administering a decedent's estate, […]
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Conservatorship vs Guardianship What's the Difference? - Werner Law Firm

Conservatorship vs Guardianship: What's the Difference?

POSTED ON: September 30, 2022 BY: The Werner Law Firm, PC
The similarities between conservatorship vs guardianship are in both description and definition. Conservatorships are generally applied to adults, while guardianships typically involve minors. Guardianships and conservatorships center around managing a single person's affairs and financials. In guardianships, the person managed is known as the ward, while in conservatorships, they are known as the conservatee. Depending […]
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What Is a Contingent Beneficiary and How Do You Choose One? - Werner Law Firm

What Is a Contingent Beneficiary and How Do You Choose One?

POSTED ON: September 26, 2022 BY: The Werner Law Firm, PC
A contingent beneficiary is a secondary beneficiary who only inherits if the first or primary beneficiary refuses their inheritance or cannot inherit. A contingent beneficiary is not a second or third beneficiary who will inherit in addition to your first heir. If everything goes "well," the contingent beneficiary may not inherit anything. One of the […]
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Trust Administration Checklist for First-Timers - Werner Law Firm

Trust Administration Checklist for First-Timers

POSTED ON: September 23, 2022 BY: The Werner Law Firm, PC
A trust's creation, management, and resolution can be very complicated in the trust administration process. Whether you intend to be the future decedent and would like to create a trust to manage certain assets within your estate before and after your death, or whether you have been named as the successor trustee for a loved […]
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What Is the Inheritance Tax in California - Werner Law Firm

What Is the Inheritance Tax in California?

POSTED ON: September 20, 2022 BY: The Werner Law Firm, PC
The inheritance tax is distinct and not to be confused with the estate tax, sometimes also known as the death tax. The estate tax is levied on an estate after its decedent has died. In contrast, the inheritance tax is set on the heirs receiving their respective portions of the estate in the final stages […]
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Precipitating Circumstances for a Codicil to Will - Werner Law Firm

Precipitating Circumstances for a Codicil to Will

POSTED ON: September 16, 2022 BY: The Werner Law Firm, PC
Your last will is the single valid version of your will that a probate court will use to determine how to distribute your estate. You may have multiple wills and numerous documents attached to each will, but only your last will is valid, as is every attributed codicil to the will. If a person frequently […]
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Why is Estate Planning Important - Werner Law Firm

Why Is Estate Planning Important?

POSTED ON: September 8, 2022 BY: The Werner Law Firm, PC
An estate plan encapsulates all elements utilized to preserve a person's legacy after death. This includes managing and bequeathing their belongings, anticipating and sidestepping unwanted complications, and developing strategies for unforeseen incapacity or permanent disability. Simply put, an estate plan is composed of several different contingencies and plans of action in the event of certain […]
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When and How to Use a California Small Estate Affidavits - Werner Law

When and How to Use a California Small Estate Affidavits

POSTED ON: August 29, 2022 BY: The Werner Law Firm, PC
When we die, our belongings are distributed among the living. Some assets and property, both tangible and intangible, have automatic rules of distribution. For example, a life insurance policy usually requires you to name at least one beneficiary when creating it, as the purpose of the policy is to leave behind a buffer to pay […]
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How To Retrieve Unclaimed Inheritance Money - Werner Law Firm

How to Retrieve Unclaimed Inheritance Money

POSTED ON: August 25, 2022 BY: The Werner Law Firm, PC
Everything we leave behind must be redistributed among the living when we die. However, what happens if the residents can't locate what we have left behind? What happens to forgotten bank accounts, retirement funds left inaccessible, unclaimed wages, and property with no deeds or paperwork? What happens to everything that is lost to time or […]
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What Is the Gift Tax Limit in California? - Werner Law Firm

What's the Gift Tax Limit in California?

POSTED ON: August 18, 2022 BY: The Werner Law Firm, PC
Ever wondered why people don't just transfer their home titles to their children while they're alive, rather than waiting until they die after being written into the will? Aside from losing out on the equity of a home or investment property holds – and thereby losing the value of that equity in your retirement years […]
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Whether you need help creating a living trust or navigating probate, our living trust law firm's compassionate team of estate planning lawyers and probate lawyers are here to help you and ready to answer your questions.

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The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship! See full disclaimer here.