California community property laws influence how estate assets are divided. A Los Angeles spouse cannot be disinherited involuntarily, and children or other relatives are not automatic heirs. According to California Probate Code Section 6400-6414, a will cannot prevent a surviving spouse from claiming half an estate, but the protection does not cover an unmarried partner. […]

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The loss of a loved one is a highly-stressful event. Someone, often a close family member, also may be responsible for the settlement of the decedent’s estate. An attorney’s input is useful, since some legal issues require attention even as survivors struggle to manage their grief. The first step is to learn what power you […]

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A Los Angeles forensic accountant can be hired to place a fair market price on the estate assets you have, but only you and your loved ones know the worth of sentimental objects. Some of the worst squabbles in probate occur over property that has little or no value outside of a family. An insurance […]

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Drafting an estate plan can be as much about what you do want as it is about what you don’t want. Maybe it has taken you several years to get to the point of meeting with an estate administration and planning adviser. Many Los Angeles residents want the distribution of assets issues finalized so they can get […]

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Dying debt free in Los Angeles may be a goal, but it’s often not a reality. In many states, leftover debt following a person’s death is an estate’s problem, not a direct concern for heirs. In California, community property laws sometimes force surviving spouses to pay a deceased spouse’s bills. Certain debt ownership circumstances affect […]

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Los Angeles residents may overlook the valuable, invisible assets they own known as intellectual property. For estate administration purposes, website domains and blogs, images, art or music you share through social media sites are assets that belong to you and, if you so designate, your heirs. Tupac Shakur died violently in 1996, in the prime of his […]

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Silly Bands and Pogs from the 1990s and Cabbage Patch Dolls from the 1980s were collectibles that some people bought in quantity, with the idea that someday those childhood toys would be “worth something.” Other than niche buyers, who today values a Cabbage Patch Doll the way they did in 1985? Extreme value fluctuation is […]

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Financial elder abuse can be prevented by a carefully-crafted estate plan, provided the documents are in place while an individual is relatively young and healthy. Wills drafted in advanced age can invite legal contests among heirs and beneficiaries. Huguette Clark came from “old money” and a lot of it. Clark inherited $300 million from her […]

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Beneficiaries do not have to be named in a will to receive assets from an estate. A life insurance policy is an example. The proceeds from the policy go to the assigned beneficiary, whether or not that person is also named in a Los Angeles will, trust or other estate planning document. Heirs may be […]

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You don’t have to be a television, movie or music legend in Los Angeles to want control over inheritances you leave for heirs. If you think your estate plan is fine without a trust, you might be right. Then again, you might be missing something. Trusts are legal workhorses designed for particular purposes. More than […]

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