Estate Planning and Probate in Alameda County, CA

Codi M. Dada Law Office P.C. helps Alameda County residents plan for their families and navigate estate and trust administration. Consultations can begin remotely; the firm’s office is in Novato.

Give a successor trustee a clear record, not just a document binder

When relatives live in different places, a successor may inherit the job of locating documents before they can understand the estate. Alameda County residents can use an estate-planning meeting to identify who holds the original documents, where account information is kept, and how family members should reach the nominated trustee or executor. These practical records should accompany the legal plan, with sensitive passwords and full account numbers kept out of ordinary email.

When you are handling an estate or trust

Alameda Superior Court publishes separate resources for probate and trusts. A trust-administration issue and a court-supervised estate are different matters, even when the same family is involved. Before choosing forms or making a distribution, identify the governing document, the asset owner and the authority of the person acting. The firm can review those materials and explain which questions require a court filing.

Questions to bring to a consultation

• Where are the signed originals stored?
• Who is nominated if the first successor cannot serve?
• Which assets belong to the trust and which do not?

Choose the service that fits your situation

Estate planning covers preparing and coordinating your documents. Trust administration addresses carrying out an existing trust. Probate administration concerns court-supervised estates. The first discussion can help identify which service is appropriate.

Official local resource

Alameda County Superior Court probate resources provide current procedural information. Requirements depend on the particular matter; verify the instructions for your case before filing.