Recent Blog Posts
Contesting the Validity of a Will
In order to contest a will under California law, the contestant must be considered an interested party. An interested party, may include the decedent’s children, spouse, creditors, beneficiaries named in the will, those with a claim against the estate, or those whose property rights will be impacted by the will. Contestants commonly consist of… Read More »
Understanding Probate
Probate is a court proceeding that is essential to settling the estate of a dead person. This includes appointing an executor or administrator to manage the decedent’s estate. Additionally, deciding the validity of the will, reconciling any debts of the decedent, and allocating the remaining assets to the decedent’s beneficiaries are all handled via… Read More »
The Most Important Estate Planning Documents
Throughout life we are forced to do loads of paperwork, such as college applications, taxes, and purchasing a house. Proper estate planning is no different. There are a number of vital documents to consider creating based on your overall estate planning objectives. These documents make certain that your decisions concerning health care preferences and… Read More »
When Even Good Planning May Not Be Enough
Robin Williams had accumulated a lot of stuff over his career and he had a detailed plan about which things would go to his children and what was to go to his current wife. But even this amount of detail left a few things unclear and so now the family has moved into major… Read More »
Laura’s Law Now in Contra Costa County
Laura’s Law authorizes court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment for the severely mentally ill. Enacted more than a decade ago, it has been left to individual Counties to opt in. Initially, Laura’s Law was applied only in a pilot program in Nevada County. In the last year more Counties are adopting and funding Laura’s Law. This… Read More »
Estate Protection Legislation for Medi-Cal
Historically, Medi-Cal recipients are required to pay back Medi-Cal from their estate once they have passed away. In the case of a married couple, the pay back could be deferred until the death of the second spouse. This has created new problems under the Affordable Care Act, which expands Medicaid coverage (called “Medi-Cal” in… Read More »
Special Needs Meets Deadly Force (Again!)
This week we had yet another incident where someone with Special Needs came into contact with the police with deadly results. In Half Moon Bay an 18 year old holding a knife was shot and killed by police when she allegedly lunged at a police officer. The officer claimed deadly force was justified because… Read More »
