Over the years I have seen clients struggle to get access to a parent’s safe deposit box after death. More than once, this seemingly simple task required us to open a probate proceeding in court, even though the deceased parent had set up a revocable trust to avoid probate. I’ve said this before: telling a client we have to do…
Transfer on Death (TOD) deeds gained legal recognition in 2016 as a means of transferring real property outside of probate in California. Since then, TOD deeds have emerged as a popular estate planning tool, offering a streamlined alternative to probate for transferring real estate assets. A TOD deed is a legal document that allows real property owners to designate beneficiaries…
