Charitable Remainder Trusts: Donating Real Estate to Your Church
How a charitable remainder trust turns a gift of church-bound real estate into current income and a tax deduction, and the mortgage, timing, and appraisal rules that can disqualify it.
Category Archives: Trusts & Estates
Trust vs. Estate in California: What Property Owners Need to Know to Avoid Probate
Trust vs. Estate — most people don’t realize how much this one distinction determines whether a California property transfers in weeks or gets tied up in court for a year or more
Simplified Probate
California’s current small estate thresholds for 2026, the real property-specific procedures most guides skip, and how simplified probate actually works.
Fund Your Trust, or It’s Just an Empty Basket
A trust is like a basket woven for the people left behind. But a gorgeous, empty basket protects no one. Here’s why so many well-meaning church members have a trust that isn’t actually funded, and what to do about it.
Affidavit of Death
How an affidavit of death clears title to jointly held California property, what California Probate Code § 210 actually requires, and why it bypasses probate entirely.
What is a Probate Referee
A probate referee is an individual appointed by the California State Controller to serve as an officer of the court and appraise the value of assets in an estate when someone passes away. This ensures that the estate’s assets are properly evaluated for tax purposes and equitable distribution among heirs. A probate referee is an impartial, independent professional with expertise in appraising various types of assets, including real estate, stocks, bonds, and personal property. Purpose of a Probate Referee: Ensuring Accurate Asset Valuation The primary duty of this role is […]
California Land Trust
What a California Land Trust actually is, why California has no statute backing it the way Illinois does, and the practical uncertainty that creates
Banking Beneficiaries: Who Gets Your Money When You Die
Who inherits your bank account has almost nothing to do with your will. Banking beneficiaries, set through POD, Totten trust, joint, or trust accounts, pass outside probate, and in California a designation can beat your will entirely. Here’s how each works.
Community Property: Rules for Your Will or Trust
Community property is the rule of the land in California, and it controls what you can actually leave in a will or trust. Here’s how §760, separate property, commingling, transmutation, and death shape your estate plan.
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.
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