Will Planning for Santa Monica Residents

Gather the information that will shape the conversation

Before a remote consultation, collect the details you want considered rather than trying to resolve every legal question on your own. Note your current family circumstances, the people or organizations you have in mind for property, and any circumstances that may affect those wishes. If a choice feels uncertain, write down the question and the options you are weighing.

Bring or have available any existing will or other estate-planning documents, along with a short list of changes you are considering. A focused summary can help distinguish what you want to keep from what needs reconsideration.

• List the names and contact details of people you may want to include in your instructions.
• Write down any important family circumstances or changes you want to discuss.
• Make a list of questions about how your instructions should address property or a possible executor.

Map property and how it is currently held

Prepare an inventory of the property you want to discuss. For each item, note how it is titled or owned, whether another person is named in a transfer arrangement, and whether it is associated with a trust. You do not need to decide in advance what should pass through a will; the purpose is to make the existing arrangements visible.

A will can state wishes, but it does not by itself ensure that an estate avoids probate. Ownership and available transfer options matter. If an asset is jointly owned, held in a trust, or has a named beneficiary, identify that arrangement so the plan can be considered as a whole.

• Include real estate, financial accounts, business interests, and items with personal or family significance.
• For each item, note the ownership or title information you can find and any beneficiary or trust connection.
• Flag information you cannot locate rather than guessing.

Consider who you may want to nominate as executor

Think about whom you would like to nominate as executor and whether you have a possible alternate in mind. Consider what you know about each person’s availability, judgment, and willingness to take on responsibilities. These are useful points to discuss, not a substitute for understanding the role and the circumstances of your estate.

A will can nominate an executor, but a court appoints the personal representative in a formal probate case. A nomination therefore does not itself establish that the person will serve. If the person you have in mind is unsure, note that concern for the consultation.

Coordinate the will with your other arrangements

Bring together your property inventory, existing documents, and notes about beneficiary designations or ownership. Ask how the will’s instructions fit with those arrangements and whether any inconsistencies should be addressed. Keeping these details together helps prevent planning one document without considering the way property is currently set up.

The practical limit is important: a will is not a single solution for every asset, and having one does not guarantee probate will be avoided. The effect of an instruction depends in part on ownership and transfer options, so identify any uncertainty rather than assuming that every asset passes under the will.

Prepare for a focused remote consultation

Codi M. Dada Law Office P.C. serves clients virtually throughout California from its one in-person office in Novato. For a remote conversation, keep your inventory, existing documents, and questions accessible, and make a short list of the decisions you most want to discuss. If you are not ready to choose a person or settle a particular instruction, include that as an open question.

A practical next step is to organize your notes into three groups: property and current ownership, people and family circumstances, and executor or transfer questions. That gives the consultation a clear starting point without requiring you to resolve the legal details in advance.