Estate Planning and Probate for Manhattan Beach Residents
Estate planning addresses decisions and authority during your life as well as the handling of assets after death. The right path depends on what your documents say and how assets are owned—not simply on who is named in a document.
Start with the decision you need to make
If you are planning ahead, consider which people should make financial or health-care decisions if you cannot, and how you want property handled. Wills, trusts, financial authority and health-care decisions can be coordinated as part of an estate plan. They address different responsibilities, so one document should not be assumed to cover every decision.
If someone has died, first identify the documents and the ownership of the assets involved. Those facts help distinguish trust administration from formal probate. Being named in a will or trust is relevant, but the document and asset ownership determine what process and authority apply.
Planning while you are alive
Planning can address who may act on your behalf and how your wishes are recorded. Advance healthcare directives and living wills concern health-care decisions; a healthcare power of attorney concerns a person’s role in those decisions. A financial power of attorney concerns financial authority. A will and a revocable living trust address different parts of planning for property.
The useful question is not how many documents to collect, but which decisions need to be addressed and whether the documents work together for your circumstances. For example, if you want someone to handle financial matters during incapacity, discuss that goal separately from who should communicate your treatment preferences.
After a death: trustee administration or probate?
A successor trustee may have responsibilities under a trust, while a probate matter follows a formal court process. Which route applies depends on the governing documents and how the assets are owned. A will can be part of an estate plan, but its presence alone does not establish that every asset is administered through a trust or that probate is unnecessary.
If you are named to act, gather the will or trust and a working inventory of assets, including how each is titled. Use those materials to clarify what role the document gives you and what further authority may be needed. Do not treat a title such as trustee or executor as a substitute for checking the applicable documents and asset ownership.
Choose focused help, not every available service
The available services cover distinct needs. For core planning, these include wills, pour-over wills, revocable living trusts, financial powers of attorney, advance healthcare directives and living wills, and healthcare powers of attorney. For particular goals, options include business succession planning, pet trusts, charitable trusts, special needs trusts, asset protection trusts, irrevocable trusts and gift tax planning.
For matters after a death, the relevant services include trust administration, probate administration, ancillary probate, and guidance concerning executor and trustee responsibilities. These are not interchangeable. Start with the decision or responsibility at issue, then consider only the services that address it.
A practical next step
Before a conversation, make a list of your main goals or, for an administration matter, the documents and assets you know about. Note questions such as who is expected to act, what the relevant document authorizes, and how an asset is titled. These are preparation prompts, not a checklist of legal requirements.
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 Manhattan Beach.
Explore the service you need
- Advance Healthcare Directives and Living Wills
- Ancillary Probate
- Asset Protection Trusts
- Business Succession Planning
- Charitable Trusts
- Executor and Trustee Services
- Financial Power of Attorney
- Gift Tax Planning
- Healthcare Power of Attorney
- Irrevocable Trusts
- Pet Trusts
- Pour-Over Wills
- Probate Administration
- Revocable Living Trusts
- Special Needs Trusts
- Trust Administration
- Wills
Questions to discuss
Does naming someone in a will or trust automatically give that person authority over every asset?
Not necessarily. The applicable documents and asset ownership determine whether trust administration or formal probate applies and what authority is involved. Review both before assuming a named person can handle every asset.
Does every estate need both a will and a trust?
Not by default. Estate planning can coordinate wills, trusts, financial authority and health-care decisions, but the appropriate combination depends on the decisions and assets involved. A will and a trust serve distinct roles; consider your goals and how property is owned when deciding what to discuss.
Official resources
- California planning and administration resource
- California planning and administration resource
- Official Los Angeles County court resource
General information, not an assessment of your documents or circumstances. Codi M. Dada Law Office P.C. has one office at 802 Grant Ave, Novato, CA 94945, and offers virtual services across California. A remote consultation does not itself authorize remote signing or a remote court appearance.
