Wills
Los Angeles Estate Planning Attorney
A will is a document in which you decide who should
manage your estate after your death and who should
inherit your assets. A will allows you to name guardians for your minor children should you be unable to care for them. Without a will, a Los Angeles Probate Court Judge will determine these matters.
Each of the estate plan packages at Best Coast Law Group include a will.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our team specializes in simplifying the estate-planning process so you and your loved ones can feel certain about every decision. Start with this overview, and then book a consultation when you’re ready to talk more.
What is a Will?
A legal document created by you, the “Testator,” that sets forth your wishes
regarding distribution of your assets and guardianship of any minor children. A will
takes effect at the death of the Testator and may be revoked or amended at any
time before the Testator’s death. The Testator selects an “Executor” to administer
the estate after the Testator’s death and distribute assets to the “Beneficiaries”.
Does a Will avoid California Probate?
No. A will requires the Testator’s assets be administered by the county Probate Court, and after publishing in the paper, notifying creditors and paying court and attorney fees, the estate is distributed among the Beneficiaries of the will. Wills are made public. You need a trust to avoid Probate Court.
If a person creates a living trust, they typically also create a “pour over will” which “pours over” assets to the trust at his or her death.
If a person creates a living trust, they typically also create a “pour over will” which “pours over” assets to the trust at his or her death.
Who needs a Will?
Anyone who wishes to control distribution of his or her property after death and anyone who wishes to nominate guardians for minor children needs a will. Without a will, the probate court will almost always distribute property according to the California Probate Code. Without a will, the probate court will nominate guardians who will have legal custody of minor children.
Who can be Executor if I have no family?
Many Californians name friends to be their Executor, there is no requirement to
name family. Your Executor should be someone you implicitly trust to follow your
wishes. If you do not have a family member or friend that is appropriate for this role
you may consider a California Licensed Professional Fiduciary. This may be a
fiduciary in private practice or a corporate fiduciary like your investment bank. At
Best Coast Law Group we always walk our clients through these touch decisions.
Client Testimonials
Nicolette J-Pownall
1709756284
The BCLG was instrumental in helping us set up a family trust. Brittany is generous with her knowledge, her time and is deeply passionate about helping her clients protect themselves and future generations from going into probate. Highly highly recommend working with her and her incredible team.
Ricky G.
1677000176
I highly recommend Britton Law Group. I called for a consultation and spoke to Lisa. She's got a heart of gold. She was so honest that after explanation my...
Luis Fernandez
1660159974
Very helpful and informative
Jamie O.
1670667961
Do your loved ones a favor and work with Brittany Britton to get your affairs in order before it's too late. She is super personable and makes everything so...
Alan B.
1613792323
5 stars is not enough praise! We are totally satisfied with every aspect of the estate plan Brittany (Brittion Law Group) prepared for us (A family Trust; Certificate of Trust; “Pour over” Wills; Durable Power of Attorney; Advance Health Care Directive, Deeding our house to the trust; etc). We are especially pleased that everything was tailor-made to our specific circumstances. The legal advice/service provided was expert and the documents are flawless. She and her team are quite pleasant to work with, efficient, patient, ethical, and detail oriented experts. We did everything by email, internet, Zoom, telephone and mail – we never left home! (Totally Covid safe). Traveling notary came to our home for signatures during a Zoom session with Brittany. All fees are reasonable, fair, fully worth it for the high-quality service and product you get and fees are fully transparent. Other law firms I considered did not disclose fees in advance. I understand why she has so many five star reviews and no complaints.Important regarding Estate Planning, Trusts and Wills – in my view, never DIY (“Do It Yourself)! Before selecting Britton Law Group, I was in a DIY mode. As a retired aerospace engineer I thought it would be easy to DIY. I read about four detailed books on Estate Planning, Trusts and Wills. I read a lot on the internet via Google. I even downloaded some DIY forms thinking I could just fill in the blanks. Wrong! And some internet sites offer to download/sell and even help you fill in the “one-size-fits-all” boilerplate blank forms – A bad idea in my view. Any estate plan must be tailor made to your specific situation. There are just too many things to consider for you to do this without an attorney specializing in estate planning paying specific attention to all the details. So I began a methodical review of law firms with websites specializing in estate planning and trusts, and created a pro/con evaluation. That’s how I arrived Britton Law Group. Happy I did. Thanks Brittany and team.
Kathleen S.
1663947679
A year ago, my husband suddenly passed away. I needed a local law group to help me since he left no will or living trust. Brittany and Lisa were very...
Mark Clapper
1583207874
Brittany and her staff were absolutely fantastic, efficient, friendly and fair. I’m one of those people who is somewhat afraid of lawyers but Brittany broke the mold and shattered all preconceived opinions I had of attorneys! I will definitely use her again in the future when I need her services.
Stacie V.
1655990927
Brittany Britton (cool name) and her assistants not only are very knowledgeable and professional, but they also are very kind, understanding and gentle....
Melissa Johnson
1512424126
This process was one word "easy". Brittany is so great at what she does! We needed a will and felt a little overwhelmed, but she explained the process thoroughly in layman terms. You can tell she truly loves her job and cares about her clients. I know we will use her again for future will, trust and estate planning. She is a gift!
Courtney Hogenson
1481749455
We are so grateful to have found Brittany Britton when we did. My husband and I needed to set up our estate plan with the arrival of a newborn. She made it so easy and we are now able to rest assured that all of our wishes will be followed no matter what the future brings for our family. Brittany came to our home and answered all of our questions and concerns. We HIGHLY recommend her. In fact, we suggested her to our neighbors and our CPA. Both hired her to set up their estate plans and were just as impressed by her as we were!
Danny Padilla
1464023173
I recently hired Brittany to help us put together an Estate Plan for myself, my wife and our infant child. She was recommended to us by a friend. We knew nothing about this sort of thing, but Brittany was amazing with her explanations and with walking us through the process. She was very informative and you can tell that she loves what she does. Also, she will come to you, which was hugely important for us because or our infant child and our inability to mobilize. If you are looking for an estate planner, look no further, Brittany is the one.
Alex Marin
1463027289
Professional and very thorough. I had the pleasure of meeting Brittany and watched her go through the estate planning process with her clients. She is detail oriented and yet explained everything in user friendly terms. If you are in need of estate planning for your or you loved ones, look no further. Give Brittany a call. You will not be disappointed.
Jaeson Wilkins
1708540063
Brittany's expertise in the area of estate planning and probate representation (and prevention) surpasses that of anyone I know! I've known brittany for almost 5 years and have seen her handle some of the most complex probate methodically and meticulously. She stands up for families in these tough situations and ensures a fair legal process is had. 100% recommend Best Coast Law Group!
geoffrey S.
1646170291
Super firm -- Not only efficient, both Miss Britton, and her legal assistant, Katherine (who is terrific) -- are also cordial and supportive... Not the type of office culture you see all the time!
Lisa Yde
1611154190
I had a large estate that needed to go through probate in California and I live in Indiana. After reviewing several websites, I chose Britton Law Group mostly because of the transparency of fees. I got a lot more than that! Brittany and her team were quick to respond to every question I had, and always explained every step we had to take thoroughly. She recommended a realtor who was a pleasure to work with and even sold the car from the estate for me. This difficult process could not have gone smoother. I highly recommend Britton Law Group!
Rogelio Henriquez
1547778596
I was in need of a probate lawyer so I called a few and after speaking to Brittany I decided to go with her. She came to my house which was really convenient, she gathered the necessary paperwork and the probate process began. She was very informative every step of the way, she kept me informed of the court dates and where we were in the probate process. She answered all my questions and concerns promptly and in detail. She made the whole probate process very easy and completed it very quickly, I highly recommend her as a probate lawyer.-Rogelio
