Navigating California’s New Probate Laws: What Southern California Residents Need to Know
As of April 1, 2025, California’s probate landscape is changing in a big way—especially for families dealing with estates that include a home valued under $750,000. These new laws aim to simplify the process of transferring property after death, helping more Californians avoid lengthy and costly probate procedures. What’s Changed Historically, estates in California valued […]
How We Got Our Name…
We often get asked how why we are called The Wagon Legacy, and what the symbol of the red wagon represents. Here is a detailed explanation!
One of the Most Surprising Parts of My Job
As an estate planning attorney, something surprised me that I never really expected—assessing whether a client has the legal capacity to sign their estate plan. In California, signing a trust requires testamentary capacity and contractual capacity—but what does that actually mean? Too often, I meet with clients because we need to determine if they have the […]
New Firm Videos!
The Hidden Challenges of Using a Power of Attorney
A power of attorney (POA) is one of the most important estate planning documents, allowing a trusted person to handle financial or medical matters on your behalf. However, many people are surprised to learn that banks and financial institutions often refuse to honor them. Understanding why this happens can help you plan more effectively and […]
Are You Setting Yourself Up for a Legal Nightmare?
How NOT Having an Estate Plan Is Like Suing Yourself—And Losing Imagine stepping into a courtroom, only to realize you’re both the plaintiff and the defendant—no matter what happens, you lose. That’s exactly what occurs when you pass away without an estate plan. Instead of your assets smoothly transferring to loved ones, the court steps in, draining […]
The race you can’t afford to lose…
Sometimes, You Just Have a Need for Speed! Our team took a break from estate planning to go to K1 Speed on Friday afternoon, and let’s just say… things got competitive! We love what we do, but we also love spending time together outside the office. Building strong relationships makes us even better at serving […]
How NOT Having an Estate Plan Is Like Suing Yourself—And Losing
Imagine this: You’re in court, facing an expensive lawsuit. The plaintiff? Yourself. The defendant? Also you. And no matter how the case unfolds, you’re guaranteed to lose—because the real winners are the attorneys and the court system. That’s exactly what happens when you pass away without an estate plan. The Hidden Costs of No Estate […]
Estate Planning: The Race You Can’t Afford to Lose!
Recently, our team hit the track for some high-speed fun at the go-kart track! We had a blast competing, strategizing, and—of course—learning a few lessons that apply to both racing and estate planning. Racing and Estate Planning: More Similar Than You Think A Plan is Everything – Just like a race requires a strategy, so does […]
36 Years of Love: Julie’s Valentine’s Day Story
Desplácese hacia abajo para leer esto en español. This Valentine’s Day, we’re excited to share the beautiful love story of our probate and estate settlement paralegal, Julie! Julie has been with our firm for almost 5 years and has nearly 20 years of experience in estate planning and probate. She and her husband, Tim, have been […]
