Moravec Varga & Mooney

Short Answer: A testamentary trust can help protect your beneficiaries from poor financial decisions, preserve government benefits for...

📌 Quick Answer: A holographic will is a will that is entirely handwritten and signed by the testator (the person making the will),...

📌 Quick Answer: Temporary guardianship** in California is a short-term legal arrangement where someone is appointed to care for a minor...

📌 Quick Answer: To avoid a nursing home or Medi-Cal taking your house, you need to plan ahead by using legal tools such as irrevocable...

📌 Quick Answer: To protect assets from Medi-Cal recovery in California, you can use tools such as trusts, gifting strategies, exempt...

📌 Quick Answer: In California, probate funds are typically distributed 9 to 18 months after probate begins. Distribution can only occur after all debts, taxes, and court approvals are complete. In limited cases, partial distributions may be allowed earlier with court permission. If you're a beneficiary or executor involved in a California probate case, you’re likely wondering: “When will funds be distributed?” The answer depends on court procedures, creditor claims, taxes,

📌 Quick Answer: To qualify for IHSS (In-Home Supportive Services) in California, an individual must be a low-income California resident...

📌 Quick Answer: A third party special needs trust (SNT) is an estate planning tool used to hold and manage assets for a person with...

📌 Quick Answer: To find a qualified estate planning attorney, look for someone with experience in wills, trusts, and probate law in your...

Quick Answer: The success rate for challenging a will in California is low, with estimates suggesting that fewer than 10% to 15% of all...

The Quick Answer: You Don’t Pay Unless You Win Hiring a lawyer on contingency means you pay nothing upfront—the attorney only gets paid...

The Quick Answer: Look at the Will or Trust—Then Apply California’s Intestacy Laws If No Estate Plan Exists To determine whether someone...

The Quick Answer: Omitted Spouses May Inherit—Unless an Exception Applies Under California Probate Code §21610, if someone marries after...

The Quick Answer: If a Will or Trust Is Ambiguous, You Can Petition the Probate Court and Use Extrinsic Evidence to Clarify the...

The Quick Answer: Tax Consequences Can Undermine Settlements, Delay Distributions, or Reduce Your Recovery Taxes are often an afterthought in probate litigation—but they shouldn’t be. Whether you're negotiating a settlement, challenging a will, or seeking to recover assets from a trustee, failing to account for taxes can cost you time, money, and legal leverage. At Moravec, Varga & Mooney, we regularly advise beneficiaries, trustees, and heirs on how to structure probate liti