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Elder abuse doesn’t just include physical harm, or constant neglect – it also applies to financial crimes, such as stolen cash, jewelry, or a ploy to steal retirement funds. This is a serious offense in California, with a severe penalty for elder financial abuse if prosecuted by the District Attorney’s Office as a felony. 
Gain a better understanding of the

As a beneficiary to a trust, often the trust is managed by someone else: a trustee. This could be a third party, a family member, or even a professional.  For each type of trustee, there is still a risk of improper management.  By understanding your rights and a trustee’s duties in California, you can protect yourself from self-dealing, mismanagement, and

Changes in life may also require changes to trusts. For example, when couples marry or divorce, they may wish to change their distributions so that their spouse or ex-spouse is or is not a beneficiary.  Making changes to a trust so that a court can enforce such modifications requires that the proper legal process is followed.  
 
Changes to Trusts:

Has your trustee neglected their accounting duties, or simply refuses to carry them out? If so, don’t panic – there’s a set legal process for retrieving accounting for your trust, as well as if your trustee has improperly taken what isn’t theirs. 
Trust accounting in California can pose serious consequences for trustees who refuse their duties, with the potential for

There are a number of disappointing scenarios which require a trust litigation attorney: Maybe your trustee has been lazy in administering the trust; the trust might be ambiguous or have certain errors; ownership of property may not be clear; assets (i.e. cars, homes, jewelry) may be outside of the trust; or the decedent’s estate isn’t being executed as they wished

The probate court process can be tricky to understand, especially without the guidance of an experienced probate attorney. One of the most confusing factors is the difference between probate and non-probate property, and how both types of assets are distributed upon passing. Learn more about the differences between these two forms of probate property, and be sure to contact Gokal

The probate process was established in order to prove the validity of wills and other estate documents, as well as distribute a person’s assets after death if they do not have a trust.  The California’s Probate Code guides the process of determine whether or not a will is fit to be accepted as a true last testament and valid public