Category Archives: Probate Attorney Contra Costa County

What Are The Intestate Rights Of Inheritance In Probate Upon The Death Of A Married Person?

The rights of inheritance from a person who died intestate, and who was married at the time of death, will depend upon the nature of the particular asset being probated. Assets of the decedent who is a married person can be community property, quasi-community property or separate property.  Quasi-community property is property acquired in another […]

What Assets Can Be Administered By The Probate Court When The Decedent’s Will Is Filed?

Only certain assets left through a person’s will can be administered through a probate proceeding. For a married person, all of his or her separate property, which is in that person’s name alone, can be distributed through a probate court proceeding. Separate property is identified as what was owned by the decedent before marriage. In […]

What Happens To A Mortgage During Probate?

Many probates involve real estate where a mortgage or loan, is secured by a deed of trust which is recorded against title of the subject real property. Properly recorded mortgages survive the death of the borrower/owner of the property, and remain as liens against the real property through probate. As a result, mortgages are not […]

Letters Testamentary and Letters Administration in California Probate

When the Personal Representative of the Probate Estate is appointed, whether that person is identified by the court as the executor or administrator of the estate, “Letters Testamentary” or “Letters Administration” will be issued to that person by the court. The Letters give the personal representative authority to carry out certain business of the probate […]

The Personal Representative of the Probate Estate

When a probate is filed, the court will appoint a Personal Representative of the estate. This personal representative will be identified in the court proceeding as the executor or administrator of the estate. This person will sign and file the various documents that will be required by the court through the course of the probate […]

The Probate Spousal Property Petition

Assets that pass to a surviving spouse can be confirmed to the surviving spouse, through a petition process in probate court. This is not a full probate, and is called a “Spousal Property Petition”. This petition process usually takes around two months to complete, as opposed to around a year that is needed to complete […]

Medi-Cal Qualification and Joint Accounts

If you are applying for Medi-Cal, you will be required to disclose all of your assets in your application package. Medi-Cal wants to see evidence of all of your accounts, even joint accounts that you may have with someone else. Joint accounts will be considered by Medi-Cal, at least initially, to belong to you alone. […]

California Still Has A 30 Month Look Back for Gifting

California still has the 30 Month Look Back Penalty Period for Gifting. There is a federal law known as the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), which has a 60 month look back penalty period. However, California has not to date implemented that law. Medi-Cal eligibility workers are required to use the 30 month look back period. […]

Medi-Cal Recovery Will Be Limited to Probate Estates after January 1, 2017

We have recently blogged about the new legislation Governor Brown signed, effective January 1, 2017, which changes the rules regarding recovery by the state for payments it has made to nursing homes for Medi-Cal recipients. Under the old law, the only way we could avoid recovery was to ensure that there was nothing in the […]

Consider A Joint Checking Account With Your Parents

Many older people insist on handling their own financial affairs without assistance, for as long as as possible. This is admirable, but what if something bad happens to the older person, like a medical event which lands the older person in the hospital, and ready access to cash is needed? And, what if the older […]