by Crista Hermance | Oct 12, 2026 | Probate, Trust, Living Trust, California, Estate Planning
The difference between trust administration vs probate often comes down to how assets were owned and whether a properly funded trust was in place. Probate is a court-supervised process, while trust administration typically occurs outside of court. Both involve... 
by Crista Hermance | Oct 6, 2026 | Trust, Inheritance, Living Trust, California, Estate Planning
Many beneficiaries wonder whether they can require a trustee to distribute assets immediately after a loved one’s death. In California, the answer depends on the circumstances. Trustees have legal duties that must often be completed before distributions occur.... 
by Crista Hermance | Oct 6, 2026 | Trust, Living Trust, Trust administration, California, Estate Planning
A trustee has important legal duties during trust administration, including providing certain information to beneficiaries. If a trustee is not communicating with beneficiaries, that does not automatically mean wrongdoing has occurred. However, prolonged silence,... 
by Crista Hermance | Sep 29, 2026 | Living Trust, California, Estate Planning
The most common estate planning mistakes include waiting too long to create a plan, relying solely on a will, failing to update beneficiary designations, forgetting to fund a trust, and neglecting incapacity planning. For many Oxnard families, these oversights can... 
by Santiago Olivares | Sep 23, 2026 | Living Trust, Trust administration, California, Estate Planning
One of the first questions many trustees ask is what documents needed for trust administration should be gathered after a loved one’s death. In California, trustees typically need the trust agreement, death certificate, asset statements, deeds, tax records,... 
by Santiago Olivares | Sep 14, 2026 | Trust, Living Trust, Trust administration, Estate Planning
Estate tax, inheritance tax, and gift tax all relate to transferring wealth, but they are not the same thing. Estate tax is paid by an estate before assets are distributed, inheritance tax is paid by certain beneficiaries in a handful of states, and gift tax may apply...
