Estate Planning and Probate for Beverly Hills Residents

Start with ownership and authority

Estate planning is not one document or a decision every family makes in the same way. A plan may coordinate a will or trust with financial authority and health-care decisions. The documents selected and the way assets are owned can affect whether a trustee administers assets or formal probate is involved.

A useful first review is to identify the property or decision at issue, its current owner, and who can act if the owner cannot. Those answers help frame whether the immediate need is planning, administration under trust documents, or a probate matter.

• For decisions during life, consider financial authority and health-care decision-making.
• For transferring property at death, consider the will or trust and how each asset is titled.
• After a death, determine whether the documents and ownership point toward trust administration, probate, or questions that need further review.

Planning while you are alive

Planning documents address different jobs. A will states instructions for property addressed by the will; a revocable living trust may provide a framework for managing assets held in the trust. A pour-over will is a related planning document, but its name alone does not establish how every asset will be administered. Consider how the documents fit together with actual ownership rather than treating one document as a complete plan.

Authority documents address people who may need to make financial or health-care decisions. Advance health-care directives, health-care powers of attorney, and financial powers of attorney concern different decisions. Think through whom you would trust to act, what decisions they may face, and what preferences you want communicated.

Other planning questions may call for focused discussion rather than a standard package. The available services include business succession planning, charitable, asset-protection, irrevocable, pet, and special-needs trusts, as well as gift-tax planning. Whether any of these is appropriate depends on the circumstances and goals; a list of options is not a recommendation to use them all.

After a death: trust administration or probate?

Trust administration and formal probate are distinct processes. The documents and ownership of the assets matter when determining which path may apply; the existence of a will or trust alone does not answer every question. A trustee may have an administration role under trust documents, while probate concerns a formal court process. The right next step is to review the relevant documents alongside the assets involved.

If an estate includes property or circumstances that raise a question about administration, gather the will, trust documents if any, and a basic asset-and-ownership list for discussion. Probate administration and trust administration are separate service areas; executor and trustee services are also listed as a distinct area. The specific role and responsibilities should be clarified for the matter at hand.

Organize the question before a consultation

A practical starting point is to make a list of major assets, how each is currently owned, and any document that names a decision-maker or gives transfer instructions. Note what has changed since those documents were prepared and identify the decision you want help addressing. This preparation can make it easier to focus the conversation; it is not a legal requirement.

Codi M. Dada Law Office P.C. has one in-person office at 802 Grant Ave, Novato, California, and provides virtual services throughout California, including Beverly Hills. A useful next step is to gather the relevant documents and identify whether your main concern is planning during life, authority to act, or administration after a death.