How Does Estate Planning Avoid a Conservatorship?
Estate planning is not just about what happens to your assets after death. It also addresses who can manage your finances and health care if you become unable to do so.Without appropriate documents...
Which Estate Planning Document Do I Use—and When?
Estate plans often include several documents: a revocable living trust, will, financial power of attorney, advance health care directive, and other supporting documents.For a successor trustee,...
A/B Trusts: Why They May Be Outdated and Tax Inefficient
Many married couples who created estate plans years ago still have an A/B trust built into their documents.At the time, that structure may have made sense. A/B trusts were commonly used to help...
Should I Put My Day-to-Day Checking Account Into My Trust?
Everyday checking accounts are one of the most common trust-funding questions we hear in estate planning. Clients often ask whether every account needs to be transferred into the name of the trust...
What Is a California Small Estate Affidavit?
A plain-English guide to Probate Code § 13100 for certain California personal propertyWhen a loved one passes away, one of the first practical questions is whether a bank account or other asset can...
Selling Appreciated Assets During Lifetime vs. Transferring at Death
For many individuals and families in Southern California, significant wealth is held in highly appreciated assets—real estate, brokerage accounts, concentrated stock positions, and closely held...
Should I Put My Child on Title to My Bank Accounts?
If your goal is to make banking easier for your child (help with bills) or avoid probate when you pass away, adding your child to your bank account can sound like a simple fix. In California,...
Key Documents Making Up a Comprehensive Estate Plan
When many people hear "estate planning," they think primarily of a Last Will and Testament. While a Will is a foundational piece of legal history, in 2025, a comprehensive estate plan in California...
Key Estate Planning Terms
A plain‑English glossary of common estate planning terms for California familiesEstate planning has its own vocabulary. This glossary defines key California terms you will encounter in your...
What to Do When a Loved One Passes Away
Losing a loved one is one of life's most difficult experiences. During this time of grief, you may feel overwhelmed by the practical matters that need attention. Please know that it's often best to...
Why Good Legal Advice Saves Money
Many people hesitate to call a lawyer because they think it will be expensive. But in estate and trust matters, the real expense often comes from not getting advice when it’s needed. Small mistakes...
The Benefits of Utilizing Professional Fiduciaries
When planning your estate, one of the most critical decisions you’ll make is selecting the right fiduciary—someone legally designated to manage your assets and act in your best interest. While...
Estate Planning After the OBBBA Legislation
The recent passage of the OBBBA Legislation in July introduced significant changes affecting estate planning, trust administration, and probate. While these adjustments may have caused uncertainty...
The Importance of Having a Senior ID
The Importance of Having a Senior IDWhen California seniors sign estate planning instruments—trusts, durable powers of attorney, advance health care directives, grant deeds, and similar documents—a...
Benefits of Hiring a CPA to Assist with Trust Administration
Administering a trust is a significant responsibility that comes with a multitude of tax and legal obligations. For those tasked with this responsibility, ensuring accuracy and compliance with all...
The Pitfalls of Transfer-On-Death Deeds
California’s revocable Transfer‑On‑Death deed (RTODD) was designed as a quick, low‑cost way to pass a home outside probate, but its simplicity hides a long list of traps: it only works for certain...
Understanding the Differences: AHCD, DNR, POLST & HIPAA Authorization
What is the Difference Between a Revocable and an Irrevocable Trust?
Introduction to TrustsTrusts are powerful estate planning tools designed to help individuals manage their assets during their lifetime and beyond. In California, creating a trust can simplify the...
Why Timely Trust and Estate Administration Matters
Losing a loved one is an emotionally taxing experience, often accompanied by the daunting responsibility of managing their trust or estate. While grief and familial obligations understandably take...
Home Insurance, Wildfires, and Earthquakes
The recent devastation caused by the Palisades, Eaton, and other wildfires in Los Angeles and Ventura counties has left many homeowners grappling with the aftermath of destruction and the realities...
Investing in the Future: Estate Planning with 529 Plans and Annual Gifting
Planning for the future involves more than just saving money—it's about making strategic decisions that benefit both you and your loved ones. One powerful way to do this is by combining 529 college...
The Hidden Consequences of Do-It-Yourself Estate Planning
Demystifying Trust Administration: What Is Its Purpose?
California Trust Law Update: Notice Requirements for Incapacitated Settlors
Changes to California Probate Code §15800 have introduced important new requirements for trustees when a settlor becomes incapacitated. As your trusted estate planning advisors, we want to ensure...
Estate Planning After Divorce: Essential Considerations for California Residents
Divorce significantly impacts your life, including your estate plan. For California residents, updating your estate plan post-divorce is crucial to protect your assets and provide for your loved...
The Cost of Failing to Fund Your Trust
Creating a revocable living trust is a smart move in estate planning, designed to bypass probate and ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes. However, many people overlook a...
Protecting Your Beneficiaries from Their Poor Decision Making
When planning your estate, it's essential to consider how to protect your beneficiaries from their potentially poor financial decisions. Pederson Law Offices offers various strategies to ensure...
Can I Disinherit My Estranged Child?
Navigating the complexities of estate planning can be challenging, especially when it involves making difficult decisions such as disinheriting an estranged child or other heirs. At Pederson Law...
Should I put my child on title to my house?
Adding a child to the title of your house is generally not a recommended alternative to comprehensive estate planning. At Pederson Law Offices, our goal is to empower our clients with comprehensive...
Does your Revocable Living Trust address your current life circumstances?
Are you one of millions who setup your revocable living trust years ago and thought you were done? No question that a Revocable Living Trust (RLT) is a great, relatively...
Is life insurance really tax free?
Life Insurance can be a wonderful estate planning tool when properly utilized. Not only does it provide income replacement in case of premature death, but it also provides liquidity in estates that...
Timeshare Trusts
Your Options for Real Estate Title-Holding
The Beneficiary's Role in an Estate Plan
The term "beneficiary" comes up frequently during the process of estate planning because the efforts of estate planning are focused on transferring the decedent's assets to the beneficiary. A...
Online Estate Plans May Result in Unnecessary Litigation or Probate
When you develop your estate plan, you are deciding the best way to keep your memory alive and pass on your legacy to loved ones. When your property and assets are valued and considered with the...
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