You may be dealing with this right now. Three siblings inherit a house in Orange County. One wants to keep it because it feels like home. One wants to sell because probate is over and the carrying costs keep coming. The third has been living there, paying some expenses but not all, and everyone has…
A family often learns what a self proving affidavit is at the worst possible time. A parent has died. The will seems straightforward. Everyone wants to follow it. Then the probate court needs proof that the will was properly signed, and one of the witnesses has moved, become ill, or passed away. What should have…
A lot of families first learn there's a title problem at the worst possible moment. A parent has died. The house is supposed to be sold or transferred. Everyone thinks the next step is paperwork, then a closing. Instead, the title report shows an old deed issue, a missing heir, or a claim that no…
If you're handling a home sale in Orange County or Los Angeles after a death in the family, a trust transition, or a co-owner dispute, the phrase real estate contract length can become surprisingly slippery. One document says the broker will represent the estate for months. Another says the buyer plans to close in a…
A lot of California families arrive at the same idea the same way. A parent owns a home in Orange County or Los Angeles, wants to spare the family from probate, and hears that adding a child to title with a quitclaim deed with rights of survivorship is the simplest fix. It can work. It…
A common call starts like this. Two siblings inherited a house in Orange County or Los Angeles. One wants to sell. The other wants to keep it. A third person may be living there, paying some bills, and refusing to move the discussion forward. That kind of deadlock is exactly where people ask, what is…
A real estate deal rarely falls apart at a convenient moment. It happens after inspections are scheduled, movers are lined up, probate timelines are moving, or a family has already started making plans around a sale. Then the phone rings. The buyer says they won’t close. The seller says they’ve changed their mind. The broker…
Yes, trusts can be sued in California, but the lawsuit usually targets the trustee, not the trust itself. And this area is far from rare: estate, trust, and probate matters accounted for 11.98% of all legal malpractice claims from 2016 to 2019, reflecting a nearly 75% increase since 1985. If you're reading this because something…