Estate Planning and Probate Services in Eldridge, Sonoma County

Start with the decision in front of you

If you are planning ahead, compare the documents that address different parts of a plan: a will or trust, financial authority, and health-care decisions. These documents can work together, but that does not mean every person needs every document or that routine planning requires court approval.

If someone has died, the question is different: determine what documents exist and how the assets are titled before considering whether trust administration or formal probate may apply. Those paths depend on the documents and asset ownership.

• Planning ahead: identify which decisions you want documented and who may need authority to act.
• After a death: gather the estate-planning documents and ownership information before choosing an administration path.

Compare documents by purpose

A will and a trust are not interchangeable labels for the same arrangement. A will records directions relevant to an estate plan; a trust may be relevant to trust administration. Financial authority and health-care decisions address separate planning concerns. Consider what each existing document is meant to do, who it names, and whether it still reflects the decisions you want made.

For a practical review, make a list of the documents you can locate, their dates, the people named to act, and any major changes in family circumstances or property ownership since they were prepared. This is a preparation aid, not a legal requirement. Ask which specific change would address the concern rather than assuming the entire plan needs replacement.

Use ownership records to assess the post-death path

For a post-death matter, collect records showing how significant assets are owned, alongside any wills and trust documents. The existence of a will or trust alone does not establish which administration process applies; documents and ownership must be considered together.

If formal probate is being considered, residence and property location can matter. A mailing address by itself does not assign a case to a particular court. Eldridge is in Sonoma County, but the community name alone does not establish venue for an individual matter.

• Gather available deeds, account ownership information, and estate-planning documents.
• Note where the person lived and where relevant property is located; do not treat a mailing address as a venue decision.

Sonoma County information and a useful next step

The Sonoma County Superior Court publishes probate and mental-health calendars as a general information resource. That resource is not proof that a particular case belongs in Sonoma County and is not a substitute for assessing the person’s residence, property, documents, and circumstances.

For an initial discussion with Codi M. Dada Law Office P.C., organize the documents you have, list the assets and how each appears to be owned, and write down the decision you need to make: updating a plan, understanding a will or trust, or addressing administration after a death. Virtual services are available throughout California; the firm’s physical office is at 802 Grant Ave, Novato.