Helpful articles on wills and succession law.
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California probate is slow and costly, so avoiding it is a mainstream goal here. This guide covers the six main tools: the revocable living trust, the revocable transfer on death deed, payable and transfer-on-death accounts, joint tenancy, the spousal property petition, and the small estate affidavit.
09.07.2026A revocable living trust is especially valuable in California because it avoids the state's steep statutory probate fees. This guide explains how a living trust compares to a will, why funding matters, the role of the pour-over will, and when you actually need a trust.
09.07.2026California has no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax applies, and only above a very high exemption ($15 million per person in 2026, made permanent by the 2025 tax law). Here is exactly what California residents do and do not owe.
09.07.2026A durable power of attorney lets someone manage your finances if you cannot, and an Advance Health Care Directive handles medical decisions. This guide covers California's Uniform Statutory Form power of attorney under Probate Code 4000 and following, how to create one, and how to revoke it.
09.07.2026The California Advance Health Care Directive (Probate Code 4700) combines a living will with a health care power of attorney in one document. Learn how to name a health care agent, state your treatment wishes, and sign it correctly with witnesses or a notary.
09.07.2026California's revocable transfer on death deed (Probate Code 5600) lets you pass your home to a named beneficiary without probate. This guide confirms its current status (in effect through January 1, 2032), the two-witness and notary rules added in 2022, how to record and revoke one, and its limits.
09.07.2026California's small estate affidavit under Probate Code 13100 lets heirs collect a modest estate without full probate. This guide covers the current dollar threshold ($208,850 for deaths on or after April 1, 2025), the 40-day waiting period, and exactly what property qualifies.
09.07.2026How formal probate works in California, the statutory probate fee schedule under Probate Code 10810 (a percentage of the gross estate), the realistic timeline, and the role of the personal representative. California probate is slow and expensive by design, which is why so many people plan to avoid it.
09.07.2026Yes, a handwritten (holographic) will is valid in California under Probate Code Section 6111 if the signature and material provisions are in your handwriting. No witnesses are required. Learn the exact rules, the California date rule, how it differs from a witnessed will, and the mistakes that void it.
03.07.2026A free California will template you copy out by hand to create a valid holographic will. Includes two sample will texts (single, and married with children), the signature and date rules under Probate Code 6111, and the community property and omitted-heir protections you need to know.
03.07.2026California has no forced heirship, so you can legally leave an adult child (or almost anyone) out of your will. But community property law and the omitted-spouse and omitted-child rules set real limits. Here is exactly who you can and cannot cut out, and how to make your intent stick in a handwritten will.
03.07.2026When a California resident dies without a will, state intestacy law decides who inherits. Here is exactly how the estate splits between spouse, children, parents, and siblings, plus how community property changes the math and how a simple handwritten will lets you take control.
03.07.2026A practical, step-by-step guide to making a valid will in California. Learn the holographic (handwritten) route that needs no witnesses under Probate Code Section 6111, the state's date guidance, family protections for spouses and children, and the witnessed alternative, with a numbered steps list, sample language, and a pre-signing checklist.
03.07.2026No, California does not require a lawyer to make a valid will. A handwritten (holographic) will needs no attorney and no witnesses under Probate Code 6111. Learn when a simple DIY will is fine and when a blended family, business, out-of-state property, or trust means you should see an estate attorney.
03.07.2026The typical US inheritance is about $69,000, yet the average tops $700,000 because a few huge estates skew it. See the 2026 numbers, with California context.
03.07.2026The real 2026 numbers on what a funeral costs in California: median burial near $7,835 vs cremation, itemized casket, plot, and vault prices, plus the state cremation rate.
03.07.2026Median and mean household net worth by age in California and the US, from under 35 to 75+, the mean-vs-median gap, home equity's role, and California vs US figures.
03.07.2026Only about a third of US adults have a will, and California is no exception. The 2026 statistics on will ownership by age, income, race, and the pandemic effect.
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