An essential aspect of estate planning is the Trustee, who will be tasked to carry out wishes. This is such an important role that potential Trustees are usually asked if they would be willing to take on the responsibility before being named in a Trust. Occasionally, however, Trustees are surprised to find that they have been named. Regardless of how
Probate & Estate Planning
Governor Gavin Newsom Signs Sweeping Conservatorship Reform Bill
On September 30, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed California AB 1194 amending numerous statutes pertaining to conservatorships. The following are highlights:
Internet Posting of Fees of Licensed Professional Fiduciary: On or before January 1, 2023, an individual licensed as a professional fiduciary (LPF) by the State of California, and who has an internet website, is required to post on their…
Don’t Skimp on The Facts – Failure of Fiduciaries to Make Full Disclosure of Matters Set Forth in an Accounting May be Considered Fraud
In the recently published case of Hudson v. Foster, 2021 Cal.App. LEXIS 737, the Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District, Division Five, determined that a former conservatee who discovered that certain transactions in his conservator’s previously approved accounting were falsely reported, was under no obligation to comb through records to verify the truth of the representations made by…
Resources for National Make a Will Month (August)
August is national Make A Will Month, and a good time to make sure that your planning documents are in place. Just under half of U.S. adults say that they have created a will or plan for how they would like for their estate to be handled after their death. The Trusts and Estates attorneys at Weintraub Tobin have written…
Bringing Down the Hammer – California Appellate Court Upholds $1,000 Per Day Sanction For Failure To Timely File Accounting
As trusts and estates litigation counsel, we often have matters where a fiduciary, either as a trustee, conservator, personal representative, or agent under a power of attorney, fails to provide financial information when properly requested, or to provide an accounting if one is required under law. The result is that the person seeking the accounting may be left with no…
Is the Britney Spears Conservatorship “Toxic”?
Britney Spears says so. After thirteen years of conservatorship, on June 23, 2021, Britney appeared remotely at her conservatorship hearing and relayed her emotional plea to the judge to terminate her conservatorship without the need for any further evaluation.…
But I’m Too Young to Have a Will!
Planning for the end of one’s life, or potential incapacity, is probably something an individual in their 20’s, 30’s, or even 40’s does not want to contemplate. Even those in their later years might find it a difficult topic to discuss. However, there are several important reasons why one should strongly consider having a Will prepared, and perhaps other estate…
Lest We Forget, Conservatees Have Personal Rights
Conservatorship proceedings are commenced for a variety of reasons, but the most common circumstance is when an elderly person requires assistance, either with their medical care, or their financial affairs, or both, and that individual does not have an alternative in place which would eliminate the need for a conservatorship.…
The Tale of Choupette the Cat and Other Common Issues in Trust and Estate Litigation
When Karl Lagerfeld passed away in February of 2019 in France, many speculated that his cat, Choupette, was well provided for as part of his estimated $150 million estate. This pampered feline was much loved by Mr. Lagerfeld during his life, and appeared in photoshoots and featured in many high-end fashion magazines. However, over a year after Mr. Lagerfeld’s death,…
With Right of Survivorship – or Perhaps Not?
In advising clients regarding the rights afforded to joint tenants on a bank account, most practitioners would say that the agreement with the financial institution generally would control, with the surviving joint tenant succeeding to the funds remaining in the account on the death of the other joint tenant. California’s Multiple-Party Accounts Law (Prob. Code, §§ 5100, et seq.) governs…