You see the pattern — through an agreement with the company holding the asset, you have provided for disposition of the asset ...

Learn how probate validates a will, pays debts, and distributes assets to heirs. State intestacy laws apply when there is no ...

Estate planning professionals and families face significant challenges when dividing tangible personal property—artwork, jewelry, family heirlooms, and collectibles—among multiple heirs. Traditional ...

In a groundbreaking decision that could reshape the landscape of California estate law, the Court of Appeal in the Second District Division Four has ruled in favor of trustee David Henry Simon, ...

A trust can buy real estate just like an individual or business can. In many cases, people title property in the name of a ...

In Gaddy v. Fenenbock (In re Est. of Fenenbock), a probate court entered an order directing the independent executor of an estate to make a partial distribution of assets from the residuary clause in ...

Probate is a legal procedure through which a deceased individual's estate is administered and distributed. The probate process commences when the deceased individual's representative, known as the ...

A decedent's gross estate includes most assets and property they owned or had an interest in at death, used to calculate estate taxes. Some assets, however, may be excluded, affecting the estate's ...

Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and ...

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is emotionally taxing, and the burden is often exacerbated by the intricate legal processes involved in settling the estate. This task can be particularly ...