What Is Probate
The full California probate process explained step by step, from filing the petition through final distribution, plus the key terms every executor needs to know.
Author Archives: Ryan C. Bushore
First Right of Refusal: 5 Hidden Risks for Churches
Tenants often ask for a First Right of Refusal in a lease. It sounds harmless, but it can depress a property’s appraised value, scare off buyers, and create legal disputes over price. Here’s what churches need to know before granting one
Recovering Attorney’s Fees in California
California follows the “American Rule” — each side generally pays its own attorney’s fees unless a statute or contract says otherwise. Here’s when you can recover yours.
Statute of Frauds in California Real Estate
California’s Statute of Frauds requires certain real estate agreements to be in writing to be enforceable. Here’s what it covers and where the exceptions apply.
What Is Escrow? 5 The Process Explained
What is escrow? It’s the neutral third party that holds documents and funds until both sides of a property sale meet their conditions. Here’s how the process actually works, from opening escrow to closing.
What Defines a Church?
What defines a church matters more than most congregations realize — the answer changes depending on whether the IRS, the courts, or your local zoning code is asking. Here’s how each one actually decides.
Property Tax Assessment Appeals
Think your property’s assessed value is too high? Property tax assessment appeals in California follow strict deadlines and evidence rules — miss either one and you lose the right to challenge the value entirely. Here’s how the process actually works.
Unincorporated Associations
How unincorporated associations work under California law, when members can be held personally liable, and when a church should incorporate instead.
How Zoning Code Affects Church Property Use
Zoning laws don’t disappear just because a church has used its property the same way for years. Here’s how zoning code affects church property, nonconforming use, conditional permits, and RLUIPA protections actually work together — and what happens when a city tries to push a church out.
Wills and Trust: 5 Key Differences to Know
Wills and Trust are often confused, but they work very differently under California law. Here’s the real difference between a Will, a Pour-over Will, and Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts — and what each one means for probate and your estate.