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Preventing Will Challenges Through Effective California Estate Planning Ensuring the success and integrity of your estate plan goes beyond simply drafting documents—it also means shielding it from potential legal challenges. In California, a will contest can disrupt the intended distribution of assets and the desires of the deceased. That’s why partnering with experienced estate planning … Read more

Generally speaking, “estate litigation” is a type of civil litigation that is conducted in the Probate Courts here in California. Litigation is somewhat like what you see depicted on television shows and movies. Courtrooms, judges, juries (sometimes), lawyers, and civil procedure are involved in the late stages of California estate litigation. Note that “civil” litigation … Read more

In California Estate Planning, both for Last Wills and Testaments (“Wills”) and for Trusts, there is a need for “residuary clauses.” Indeed, it is best said that Wills and Trusts MUST contain residuary clauses. In this article, the California Estate Planning attorneys at the Guardian Litigation Group explain what California residuary clauses are and why … Read more

Yes. Very likely, the old version of your Last Will and Testament (“Will”) contained provisions that gave certain assets to your ex-spouse. Typically, the provisions in your old Will are phrased in terms of your ex-spouse and will identify that spouse by name. A typical example might read something like this: “I give to my … Read more

When preparing for your California Estate Planning, you are urged to avoid overlooking one aspect of your finances and financial architecture, which is various automatic and automated accounts. One common example includes auto-debit accounts for monthly and other recurring expenses like mortgage payments, internet service, streaming services, and cell phone service. It is, of course, … Read more

To many people, California living revocable trusts may sound confusing, too technical, and overly complicated to be worth the bother. But, in truth, living revocable trusts are simple, and with a little practice, they are relatively “easy” to use. Further, if you want to avoid California probate proceedings post-death, a California revocable living trust is … Read more

If you are burdened with Sallie Mae student loans, you may be able to have your loans discharged in bankruptcy. Note that in 2014, Sallie Mae created a new company called Navient Corporation to hold its loan portfolio and to operate its loan servicing business. Thus, if you ever had a Sallie Mae loan or … Read more

A California Living Trust is an invaluable California estate planning tool that should be part of your estate plans. This is particularly true for high-income or high-net-worth individuals and couples (net worth above $1.5 million). Living Trusts allow a decedent to avoid probate proceedings, avoid certain tax consequences, and avoid unwanted publicity. A Trust is … Read more

Everyone has a digital presence, even if they are not social media influencers, Instagram stars, or have vast YouTube followings. The digital presence of most people is mundane and involves things like email accounts, user accounts set up with various online platforms, and auto-debit accounts for bills and recurring deliveries and services. Whether extensive or … Read more

When you’ve worked hard to build a financial nest egg, it’s natural to wonder what will happen to your bank accounts once you’re no longer around. In California, the fate of your accounts largely depends on whether you’ve taken steps to plan for this scenario. Let’s explore your options to ensure a smoother transition of … Read more