Understanding Probate Court: The Process

When an individual in California passes away, many families, loved ones, or other beneficiaries are often left with the burden of dealing with the California probate process. The legal procedure in which a beneficiary has the burden of demonstrating the validity of a decedent’s Will in court is called probate. Probate court in California handles the legal proceedings for decedents (people who have passed away) as well as other people who are unable to act on their own behalf such as guardianships and conservatorships.

After petitioning the court, and once the court has determined that a particular Will is authentic, the […]

By |Death & Property, Probate|
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Mom Died. Now What? – Just Doc Prep’s Probate Service 2013 Year End Review

The year 2013 gave us more opportunity than ever before to help consumers and attorneys get through their probate cases as smoothly and quickly as possible. In almost every case, the presiding judge in various courts, complimented our clients on the quality of our paperwork.

After interviewing other legal document assistants and attorneys, J.T. of Orange County hired us to help him prepare the paperwork on a simple probate. He was amazed at how quickly he was able to get into court and how smoothly his case went. On the morning of his hearing, he was the 22nd case to come […]

By |Death & Property, Estate Planning, Probate, Wills|
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The Tale Of The Unnamed Spouse

Many people understand the importance of reviewing their living trust, wills and other estate planning documents after a divorce. But how many people don’t think about it before they get married? Just because a spouse isn’t named as a beneficiary, doesn’t mean they’re not entitled to part of the estate. I recently came into contact with someone who needed help with their sister’s probate. The deceased sister prepared a will, then later got married and did nothing to update her will or estate plan. When she died, not too long after her marriage, her siblings who were her beneficiaries in […]

By |Death & Property, Estate Planning, Probate, Wills|
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It’s Just A Piece of Paper, or is it more?

Have you ever heard someone (maybe even you) say, “It doesn’t matter, it’s just a piece of paper”. We have helped to clean up some nasty messes that could have been avoided with “just that piece of paper”.
Recently an elderly Los Angeles woman was stunned to find out that the house she had been living in for 27 years didn’t really belong to her. She found out just before the auction. She told an L.A. Times reporter that she lived with the man she specifically referred to as her “husband” who owned the house before he died. But they were […]

By |Death & Property, Deeds, Estate Planning, Probate|
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IS YOUR LIVING TRUST VALID?

Just because you prepared a living trust to keep your loved ones out of probate court, doesn’t guarantee they will stay out of court.
Remember that even though you have the right to distribute your assets anyway you choose, gifting your assets unevenly or disinheriting a family member could invite a legal contest, unless you take extra precaution to stamp out any potential fires before they start.
Your living trust (or will) can be questioned not only by angry family members but also by those who legitimately question the circumstances surrounding the creation and signing of your documents.
Although property is easily transferred […]

By |Death & Property, Estate Planning, Living Trusts|
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