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Many people first hear of Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration when they attempt to sell a home or gain access to a bank account after a family member or loved one passes away. Typically, they are given a list of required documents and Letters Testamentary is one of them. If this has happened to you, you are not alone in asking what Letters Testamentary are and how to acquire them. In California, Letters Testamentary are legal documents issued by the court to a personal representative or executor named in a deceased person's will. These Letters authorize the individual to act on behalf of the deceased person's estate and carry out the instructions outlined in the will.

You may ask, “When should I change my will and trust?” Life changes. A regular review of your Estate Plan ensures your current wishes reflect those changes. If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, your Estate Plan may need to change. Do you have a properly signed will, trust, and Powers of Attorney [..] The post When Should I Change My Will and Trust? appeared first on The Swenson Law Firm - Providing Guidance and Protection to California Businesses and Employers.

Meeting with an attorney to discuss your Estate Plan is not an every day affair. Because of this, you may not know what to expect at an Estate Planning consultation. All law offices have different procedures. However, this is what to expect from us at The Swenson Law Firm: Contact our office to schedule your [..] The post What to Expect at an Estate Planning Consultation appeared first on The Swenson Law Firm - Providing Guidance and Protection to California Businesses and Employers.

Getting Letters of Administration is a common request when taking care of someone’s estate. A bank may have told you that you need “Letters of Administration” to gain access to an account. This is common, even when you have the will and you are named as the executor. Or you may run into problems when [..] The post How Do I Get Letters of Administration? appeared first on The Swenson Law Firm - Providing Guidance and Protection to California Businesses and Employers.

You may have found that you are in need of a Probate Attorney following the death of a family member or close friend.  A Probate Attorney can help you from the very beginning in knowing what the first steps are and guiding you through the court process. It is helpful to do the following prior [..] The post First Steps in Probate appeared first on The Swenson Law Firm - Providing Guidance and Protection to California Businesses and Employers.

Several factors go into changing the ownership of a home after a death. Changing Ownership of a Home when there is a Trust When there is a trust that has been drafted properly and the home has been funded into the trust, the transfer can usually be done simply and quickly. Depending on how the [..] The post Changing Ownership of a Home After a Death appeared first on The Swenson Law Firm - Providing Guidance and Protection to California Businesses and Employers.

The death of a loved one can trigger a lot of emotions. On top of mourning the loss of your loved one, there are items that need to be done in a timely manner. Here are a few items for immediate consideration: Contact a funeral provider Provide information to the funeral provider in order to [..] The post First Steps After The Death of a Loved One appeared first on The Swenson Law Firm - Providing Guidance and Protection to California Businesses and Employers.

When you pass away, your family may need to visit a probate court in order to claim their inheritance. Although having a will is a good basic form of planning, a will does not avoid probate. Instead, a will simply lets you inform the probate court of your wishes – your family still has to [..] The post 3 Reasons You Want to Avoid Probate appeared first on The Swenson Law Firm - Providing Guidance and Protection to California Businesses and Employers.

Bringing home your new baby, is a special time. As new parents, you want to make sure that your child is well taken care of. Our vision at The Swenson Law Firm is “to make every person who walks through our door feel better. We do this by replacing ignorance with knowledge and fear with [..] The post 5 Steps for New Parents to Know About Wills appeared first on The Swenson Law Firm - Providing Guidance and Protection to California Businesses and Employers.