Wills for Beverly Hills Residents

What a will can—and cannot—do

A will can state your wishes and nominate an executor. In a formal probate case, the court appoints the personal representative; naming someone in a will is a nomination, not the appointment itself.

A will is not a complete map of how all property will pass. Whether an estate avoids probate depends in part on ownership and transfer options, so having a will alone does not ensure that probate will be avoided.

Decide what you need the will to address

Start with the decisions you want the document to communicate. Consider the people you want to benefit, the family circumstances that may affect your instructions, and whom you would like to nominate as executor. These are planning questions to discuss; the right wording depends on your circumstances.

Think about what you want the nominated executor to understand about your intentions and the practical responsibilities you expect them to take on. The nomination identifies your preference, while a court appoints the personal representative in a formal probate case.

Coordinate the will with property arrangements

Before treating a will as the whole plan, look at how your property is owned and what transfer options are in place. Those arrangements matter when considering whether probate may be involved; the will itself does not guarantee an estate will avoid it.

If you have a trust or beneficiary arrangements, bring them into the planning conversation alongside the will. The useful question is how your instructions and the way property is arranged fit together—not whether the will alone controls every transfer. Bring any available records of ownership and existing planning documents so you can identify questions that need attention.

Prepare for a will discussion or review

Before a meeting, make a concise list of the people you want your instructions to address, your preferred executor nominee, and any family circumstances you want considered. Gather copies of an existing will and related trust or beneficiary documents, if you have them, along with a general inventory of property and how it is held.

Use that information to identify what you want changed, what remains uncertain, and which property arrangements should be considered with the will. This preparation helps focus the conversation; it does not determine how an asset will transfer or whether probate will be required.

A practical next step

If you are making a will or reconsidering an existing one, begin by separating two questions: what wishes do you want the will to express, and how are your property and transfer arrangements structured? A discussion of both can help you understand the will’s role and its limits before deciding what planning to pursue.