How to Probate an Estate in California

Julia Nissley

NOLO, Mar 11, 2016 - Law - 464 pages

Handle the California probate process, from deciphering a will to tackling taxes.If you need to wrap up the affairs of a deceased family member or friend in California, you may find yourself wading through the process of probate. But did you know? You can save big on attorney fees by handling the probate process yourself.

How to Probate an Estate in California is the only book that provides all the forms, tips and step-by-step instructions you'll need to settle a loved one's estate -- all written in plain English. You may even be able to handle the whole process by mail without setting foot in the courthouse.

With this easy-to-follow guide, you'll learn how to:

• read a will
  
• determine who inherits property if there is no will
  
• handle probate paperwork
  
• collect life insurance and other benefits
  
• transfer community property to a surviving spouse or domestic partner
  
• pay bills and taxes, and
  
• distribute property left through trusts.
  
  Even if you hire a lawyer to do the probate paperwork, this book demystifies the process so that you can make informed decisions and communicate intelligently with the attorney about the estate -- and save cash in the process. Why spend over $13,000 on a lawyer to probate a $500,000 estate, when you can do almost all of it on your own?
  
  This edition contains important legal and tax updates, as well as instructions about new required forms.

About the author

Julia Nissley was Probate Administrator with the Los Angeles law firm of Silverberg, Rosen, Leon and Behr for many years. She is an honors graduate of the Attorney Assistant Training Program in Probate Administration at the University of California--Los Angeles School of Law, and a member of the California Association of Legal Document Assistants. Julia is a native Californian and enjoys playing tennis and riding trains with her husband, Ron. The author of How to Probate an Estate in California, Julia now operates her own form preparation service under the name Probate Direct, assisting consumers with all kinds of probate paperwork through the mail or in person.

Bibliographic information

• Title: How to Probate an Estate in California; How to Probate an Estate in California; Law for all
• Author: Julia Nissley
• Publisher: NOLO, 2016
• ISBN: 1413322190, 9781413322194
• Length: 464 pages
• Subjects: Business & Economics / Personal Finance / Taxation; Law / Estates & Trusts; Law / Reference