Blog.
This is where we keep notes and observations on fiduciary work in California — the questions families and professional advisors actually ask, what changes in the law mean in day-to-day practice, and what we have learned from the work of trust administration, conservatorship, and probate.
Posts carry the date they were written and the date of any update, and every statute or figure is checked against the primary source before it appears here. You can also follow along by RSS.
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Emergency Conservatorship in California: What a Court Will Actually Do This Week
California courts can appoint a temporary conservator in days, not hours: the 5-day notice rule, the 30-day limit, and the alternatives judges now require.
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California Has No Inheritance Tax. Proposition 19 Is the Tax That Bites.
California levies no inheritance or estate tax, and the 2026 federal exemption is 15 million dollars. The real cost is Prop 19 property-tax reassessment.
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What Probate Actually Costs in California: The Gross-Value Trap
California probate fees are set on the gross estate, mortgage ignored, and the executor and attorney each take the statutory schedule. The real math.
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The Medi-Cal Asset Limit Is Back
The Medi-Cal asset limit returned on January 1, 2026: $130,000 for one person, $195,000 for a couple. Who it affects, what counts, and what the look-back says.
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The $750,000 Home Rule Is Not an Affidavit
California's $750,000 home rule is a court petition under Probate Code 13151, not an affidavit. How the DE-310 process works and stacks with the $208,850 limit.
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The Fourth Notice: A New Duty in California Probate
Estates with letters issued on or after January 1, 2026 owe a fourth Probate Code 9202 notice: Child Support Services, within 90 days. Whose debt triggers it?
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Virtual Representation Comes to California Trusts
AB 565 rewrote Probate Code 15804 effective January 1, 2026: one beneficiary can now receive notice for and bind minor, unborn, or unknown trust beneficiaries.
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What Does a Professional Fiduciary Do? A California Family's Guide
A professional fiduciary makes decisions and manages affairs for someone who cannot, as trustee, agent, executor, or conservator. What the role covers, and when a California family needs one.
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An Opening Note from the Practice
The practice is open. What a California professional fiduciary license certifies, and how to verify any fiduciary before you hire one.
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California's Small-Estate Limit: The Number Many Websites Get Wrong
California's small-estate affidavit limit is $208,850 through March 31, 2028. Where the false higher figure came from, and how the affidavit really works.
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The guides cover the decisions families face most often, and the first step in any matter is a conversation.
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