Avoiding Probate: California Estate Planning Strategies
For over 50 years, Nolo’s team of experts has created top-rated legal books, forms, and software to help everyday people resolve their legal issues. It's no wonder so many people take steps to spare their families the hassle. His dedicated guidance has helped many Palm Springs families and individuals avoid financial and legal pitfall


As our clients know, skilled attorneys can save time and money in probate. When training new staff members at our law firm, I sometimes listen in on their phone calls with new clients. This integrated approach makes sure that not only asset protection but also that your healthcare, financial, and family wishes are honored throughout your life and after your death. They typically serve as the initial trustee (the person managing the trust) wealth preservation strategies and name a successor trustee to take over upon their death or incapacitation. The person who creates the trust, called the grantor or trustor, transfers ownership of their assets into the trus

Why Choose a Revocable Trust?
A living trust, also known as a revocable trust, is a legal document created during a person’s lifetime to manage and distribute assets. We can help you understand your options, including irrevocable trusts, to ensure your family has access to your home and other assets even if there is a verdict against you in the future. Unlike revocable trusts, which can be altered or revoked during the grantor’s lifetime, an irrevocable trust generally cannot be modified once it is establishe


For accounts and assets with beneficiary designations, you can usually choose your beneficiary when you open your account and can change your beneficiary at any time. Some assets do not go through this process and instead will be distributed to surviving co-owners or to beneficiaries you designated in advance. If you die without a will, trust, or other provision for the distribution of your money and property, those assets will generally be distributed according to California law. If you are trying to decide how to provide for the distribution of your assets or care of your children after you die and you need legal assistance, you should wealth preservation strategies consult an attorney. The fastest that can happen in California is typically 9 months, and that length of time can create problems for your loved one


The document takes all the unique aspects of his situation into account. To accomplish his goals, the lawyer drafts a trust document to address Dr. Smith’s concerns. When she dies, she could leave her entire estate to her husband (as most wives do) — or her husband could make a claim against the estate for spousal support under Georgia law. Under Dr. Smith’s Will, Christina would inherit the family legacy outright on his death. Since he is extremely busy, he goes online and uses a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) service to make a Will, leaving all his assets to his daughter. Like many people, Dr. Smith thinks that he only needs a Will to pass his family legacy along to his daughter and grandchildre


The information in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not purport to be complete or to cover every situation. It is not permissible for MetLife or its employees or agents to give legal wealth preservation strategies advice. Additionally, legal insurance doesn't have claim forms, retainer fees, deductibles, or copay

Facilitating Multistate Asset Management
Check with the bank, insurer, or other entity holding your account or asset to find out how to designate or change a beneficiary and if there are any restrictions. These intestate succession laws are complicated, but they essentially distribute your assets to your surviving relatives based on familial relationship. It includes analyses of the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct provided by The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).
Creating a Valid California Wi


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Use Transfer-on-Death (TOD) and Pay-on-Death (POD) Designations
An estate planning lawyer can help you set up a revocable living trust with a pour-over will. For this reason, you should transfer as much property as possible into the living trust while you’re still alive, using the pour-over will as a backup in case there are any assets you don’t get transferred in time. If the property that the pour-over will transfers to the trust is worth less than California’s small estate threshold of $184,500, you can transfer the property without going through probate. This allows you to leave assets for the benefit of your heirs without owning them yourself. This means that a pour-over will can only transfer assets to a revocable trus