Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Probate

If I sign a will, such as a “pourover will”, doesn’t that mean there has to be a probate when I die?

No. Whether probate is required depends on the total value of assets which are not in a living trust and which are not payable or transferable on death. Even where probate is not required, the decedent’s will is often the basis for the declaration under California probate code section 13100, used to transfer assets after death if no probate is necessary.

“I was never ruined but twice: once when I lost a lawsuit and once when I won one.”

- Author: Voltaire