A probate judge works in the civil court, and like any other judge, serves as a judicial officer of the state. Probate judges play a central role in the probate process, overseen by the titular probate court, or as it’s known in other states, the surrogate’s court. Probate judges make the final call for important
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Whether it was overlooked, never found, or passed on by multiple different heirs, an unclaimed inheritance can eventually be escheated to the state government. To understand how an inheritance can be left unclaimed – as well as how to claim it before it’s too late – we need to dive into how inheritance and beneficiary
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Probate courts and the probate process are necessary for the validation of any last will and testament, as well as the arbitration of final debts and other financial obligations, and the ultimate distribution of a person’s estate left behind after death. Probate can and does work without a will and is necessary even if a
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California requirements for a last will and testament can be confusing. Hiring a professional will ensure that your documents are legally binding. A last will and testament is the classic example of a basic estate planning document: a legally enforceable set of instructions left behind, to be executed after death, pertaining to the distribution and bequeathment of
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Who Inherits When There Is No Will in California? A simple estate plan drafted with a professional can save you headache from incomplete plans. Dying intestate? You might want to think twice. Passing away without a will or any other form of estate planning means that the State needs to decide what to do with what you
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The controversial conservatorship California case of Britney Spears is back in the news cycle, with her continued efforts to reclaim control over her life after her conservatorship began in 2008. Regardless of how you might feel about that case – even after the fact that conservatorships are a matter of public record, it’s still very
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When we die, we leave something behind for our loved ones to inherit. The basics of how inheritance law works remain the same throughout the United States. Our property and assets are distributed to our loved ones. Certain documents prepared before death (also known as an estate plan) can further specify how we want our
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Most divorce cases take months, if not years, to resolve. And when they do finally end, you will be left with a stack of important documents – some of which seemingly, and confusingly, fulfill a similar purpose. One of these documents is your final decree of divorce. This is a so-called court document, which means
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Wills and estate plans are the last things anyone wants to think about after a death in the family. Still, when a loved one dies, the process for distributing their belongings becomes an important step towards final closure, both in the personal and legal sense. All states require that a probate court oversees the distribution
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When a person dies, their belongings must pass onto the living. When no other arrangements are made, these belongings are usually distributed and passed among the next of kin according to the intestate laws in the decedent’s home state. This process is supervised by a probate court and can be lengthy, depending on the decedent’s
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