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Informational Videos

Trust Administration & Litigation in California Courts

The Duties and Risks of Being a Trustee in CA

What are the duties of a trustee and what risks does a trustee face while administering a trust in California?

Is the Trust Valid? 2 Ways to Invalidate a Trust in CA Probate Court

Matthew explains the legal process in CA Probate Court to invalidate a trust

Top 5 Reasons Trustees are Sued in Court

Matthew Talbot discusses the top 5 mistakes made by Trustees in California

What are you entitled to as the Beneficiary of a Trust?

Matthew Talbot speaks about the legal rights of trust beneficiaries in California.

The Attorney’s 4 Most Important Tools in a Trust Litigation

What are the tools used in a Trust Lawsuit in California?

A Trustee’s Duty to Manage Trust Assets & Account to Beneficiaries

Matthew and Elizabeth discuss the importance of properly managing trust assets and accounting to beneficiaries.

The Process of a Bringing a Trust Lawsuit in California

Matthew and Elizabeth Talbot discuss the process of a trust litigation from the initial petition to mediation or trial.

Common Issues in Trust Litigation:

Who should be the trustee? Was there misconduct by the trustee? Are the terms of the trust valid?

Probate Estates in California

How do you close an Estate going through Probate in California?

Elizabeth Talbot explains how to close an estate in California when you are going through probate.

Estate Work: What to do once an Estate has been opened.

During this video, Elizabeth Talbot discusses what one should do after an estate has been opened.

How do Attorney Fees work in a California Probate?

In this video, Elizabeth Talbot explains how attorney fees work in California probate cases.

The Advantage of Probate Special Administrations

How a Special Administration Works to Benefit Beneficiaries of a California Probate Estate.

Can you Administer an Estate if You Live Outside of CA?

Elizabeth Talbot discusses out of state administrators for a probate estate in California.

How a County's Rules and Judge can Impact your Probate

Elizabeth Talbot explains the layers of probating an Estate in California and how the California courts work. 

What is the Probate Process in California?

Elizabeth Talbot speaks about the ins and outs of the California Probate process.

What is a Special Administrator in a Probate?

Elizabeth Talbot discusses how and when a Special Administration is necessary within a probate.

How the Administrator Bond works in a CA Probate

Elizabeth Talbot talks about when an administrator needs to be bonded in a California Probate proceeding.

Contracts to Make a Will in CA Probate:

Matthew discusses the power of the oral contract using “The Simpson’s” Sam Simon as an example.

Probate 101: Does your Estate need to go through Probate?

How to know if your estate needs to be probated. Matthew addresses what assets are subject to probate, and what the probate process looks like in California.

Probate 101: How the Administrator of an Estate sells Real Property in a Probate

Attorney Matthew Talbot explains how real property (a home, land) can be sold within a probate in Contra Costa, Marin, and the San Francisco Bay area.

Probate 101: The Probate Process in the San Francisco Bay Area: Appointing an Administrator or Executor

Attorney Matthew Talbot explains how to start the probate process in counties such as Contra Costa, Marin, Alameda, and San Francisco.

Trusts, Wills & Estate Planning in California

Trusts 101: Overview of The Trust Administration Process

Attorney Matthew Talbot discusses the basic steps in administering a trust in California.

What is an Estate Plan and Why do SF Bay Area Families Need One?

Matthew and Elizabeth Talbot discuss the parts of an estate plan, and why most families in the SF Bay area need one.

How do you get Started on your Estate Plan?

Elizabeth Talbot explains how to get started with the estate planning process.

The Estate Plan Process

What are the steps to completing your estate plan and how can you do your Trust or Will from home and meet with your attorney virtually?

The (Remote) Estate Planning Process

How estate planning works during times like the COVID19 pandemic, and how you can work with an attorney remotely.

Top 4 Estate Plan Choices that Lead to Families Fighting

What leads to fighting and lawsuits over Trusts, and how can you avoid these choices in your Estate Plan?

How the Power of Attorney avoids Conservatorship

What is a Financial Power of Attorney and how can it avoid a Conservatorship in California?

The Advance HealthCare Directive & Conservatorship

How does the Advance Health Care Directive (or Medical POA) avoid the need for a Conservatorship?

What is an Advance Health Care Directive?

Elizabeth Talbot explains how an Advance Health Care Directive functions in your CA Estate Plan.

What is a Revocable Trust and why do you need one?

How a Revocable Trust is critical for residents in the San Francisco Bay Area.

How should you Set up your Revocable Trust?

Avoid family fighting and high attorney fees by setting up your Trust and Estate Plan right.

What is a Sub Trust and how does it work in a Revocable Trust?

Elizabeth Talbot discusses common Sub Trusts in Revocable Trusts.

Sub Trusts: Special Needs Trusts & Disclaimer Trusts

Elizabeth Talbot discusses how your Revocable Trust can include multiple sub trusts and how they work.

What is a Durable Power of Attorney and how does it work in CA?

Elizabeth Talbot discusses why you need a Durable Power of Attorney

What is a Pour Over Will versus a standard Will?

Elizabeth Talbot addresses the Pour Over Will in a CA Estate Plan and how it differs from a regular Will.

Naming a Guardian for a Minor Child in California

How do you name a Guardian for your minor Child? Elizabeth Talbot discusses with her daughter.

Conservatorship in California

What is a Conservatorship?

How a Conservatorship is set up in California for an adult who lacks mental capacity to make their own decisions.

Services for Attorneys & Their Clients

Litigation Consultant & Co-Counsel

How can a Litigation Consultant or Co-Counsel Benefit Your California Trust or Estate Matter?

What is a Discovery Referee?

How Can a Discovery Referee resolve Estate and Trust Discovery Disputes?

What is Mediation and How does it Work?

Matthew explains the mediation process and how he works as a Mediator to resolve lawsuits

How can a Neutral Fiduciary Assist?

What is a Professional Fiduciary & How Can they assist with Care or Management of an Estate?

Undue Influence

Undue Influence

Matthew Talbot discusses undue Influence in a Trust or Probate matter and how CA Probate Code allows you to “flip the burden of proof.”

Elder Abuse and Isolation: Denying Visitation

Denying visitation to Family and Friends and the Role of the Law